Hold On
by shewasalreadyperfect
Summary: Starting an adult relationship was Tony Stark's last wish, but since Pepper Potts was the only thing he couldn't live without, he figured he might as well try. Set up after Iron Man 2.
1. Chapter 1

As soon as Rhodey took off from the roof, Pepper turned her head towards Tony, only to see him gazing back at her with a funny look on his face.

"What?"

"Seals fighting over a grape? _Seriously_? I would have thought of a better metaphor for us." He snorted and reached out for her hands, gripping them gently in his iron-clad ones.

Her soft laugh warmed his heart and he took this opportunity to release a shuddering breath. He had been so tensed for the last few hours and he was glad that it was finally over. His seemingly distant look didn't pass unnoticed by Pepper, who squeezed his cold hands.

"I'm not letting you go, Potts." Tony stated and held her gaze.

Pepper swallowed hard and looked back into his eyes, studying his brown orbs intently, eager to find the truth in his words.

"I'm not asking you to, Tony." She responded and shook her head slowly. "You're right. It – it was just a rough patch. I shouldn't have panicked."

Tony's blood returned to his cheeks as soon as he heard this. Smiling lightly, he felt her tremble in his grasp. Taking a step towards her, he felt her flinch slightly.

"You okay?" He asked, growing concerned. "You're not hurt or anything, right? Cause if you are, you really should have said something!"

Pepper found this rather amusing, so she simply giggled and shook her head.

"No, genius. I'm not hurt. I'm just _freezing_!" She half-jokingly said.

"Oh." Tony pursed his lips and pondered his options for a minute. "Okay… alright. Where's Happy?" He wondered out loud and reached down for his helmet.

The redhead took a few steps back and pulled out her phone, dialing Happy's number. After a few quiet seconds, the chauffeur picked up and Tony watched Pepper have a quick discussion with him before she looked out in the distance at the Expo.

"Happy said he's at Hammer's facility." Pepper explained and gasped when Tony wrapped his arms around her.

"Is this… is this ok?" He whispered as he gazed into her eyes. His heartbeat grew stronger the moment her hands slid over his chestplate and into his hair. He felt her tremble slightly, but this time he was pretty certain that her reaction wasn't because of the cold.

Pepper said nothing. Instead, she leaned up and pressed her warm lips to his, while playing with the slightly damp hair at the back of his neck. Upon feeling the soft vibrations of Tony's muffled groan against her lips, her knees buckled and she pulled back, feeling momentarily dizzy.

Tony pulled back as well and bit his lower lip, as if he regretted the loss of the warmth of her mouth.

"Not weird." He reconfirmed once again and grinned like a fool. "So…" He drawled out and stroked her spine with his hands.

"Happy's off in Queens. That means no ride for the Stark Industries' _CEO_."

Pepper nodded slowly and raised an eyebrow. Although she felt a little scared inside, she couldn't help but feel relieved. The past few weeks had been hectic for her and even though she was reluctant to admit it, Tony's recent behavior had taken a toll on her. From hiring Natalie to his disastrous '_I was going to make you an omelette and tell you_' speech, Pepper realized something.

He's an idiot. _But he's my idiot_, she thought.

Tony was still rambling when she finally refocused on him.

"Were you even listening, Potts, or were you wondering what I'm wearing underneath the suit?"

"You're an idiot, Stark." She retorted smartly and tapped his shoulder.

"I'm a smart idiot." He agreed gently and winked at her. "Ok. Enough talking. I'm starving, plus I have a really bad itch somewhere between my legs that I can't quite reach until I've got rid of the—hey! Stop hitting the hero! You're supposed to adore me!"

"If you want to be adored get me out of here." She grinned and held onto him tightly as he flew her down.

As soon as they were on the ground, Pepper stepped back from him and brushed the hair out of her face. She glanced over at a police officer that was making his way towards them and silently prayed that no one had died during the attack.

"Miss Potts?" The officer asked as he approached them.

"Officer? Has everyone been transported out of the compound?" She asked, turning into corporate-mode instantly.

"Yes, we've successfully got everyone out. There have been over three hundred people hurt, but none of them have been mortally wounded."

Pepper's shoulders relaxed in relief. She kept on talking with the police guy while Tony fidgeted with the broken helmet quietly. Inside his head, the gears were spinning uncontrollably. All that he could think of was the fact that he'd just kissed Pepper, _Pepper, _the woman that practically ran his life for more than twelve years. The faint aroma of her kiss still lingered on his lips as he licked them slowly, feeling a shot of electricity run down his spine, rendering him more aroused than before.

_Fuck_, he thought.

He wanted her. Bad. But how could he make her believe that his intentions were truthful? He'd been a dick for the past six months to her. He had pushed her away because he couldn't take another rejection. The first one had stung so badly, it made him irrationally itchy whenever she was near him. But things were different now, weren't they?

The kiss had been real. Her feelings were raw. He knew that. She'd just showed him that she loved him as much as he loved her, but would that be enough? He'd mistreated her and hurt her on purpose just to make her feel the same things he'd felt when she rejected him.

_AAAH! Why does this have to be so damn complicated?_

He could only think of one thing. It clouded his brain and made his heart speed up. The only thing he wanted more than getting out of the suit, showered and fed, was to strip her naked and pound her so hard against the sheets, just to show her how it had felt all those months ago when she'd almost kissed him and ditched his proposal to be his girlfriend.

His eyes snapped up and he watched her make her way towards him. His temple pulsated as he blinked quickly, trying to slow down his breathing.

"Hey." She greeted him with a secret smile on her lips. "I'm going to head down to the station for half an hour. I need to make a statement. I'll call Happy to give me a ride back to your penthouse afterwards. I need a change of clothes, a hot shower and some food." She explained to him and watched his big eyes almost devouring her right there.

"Are you okay, Tony? You look pale." She reached up to touch his forehead, but he flinched away.

"Nah, no worries. I'm just tired, I guess. I'll see you back at the penthouse."

Pepper nodded and watched him put on his helmet and fly off. Sighing to herself, Pepper walked to the police car and got in, her mind spinning. She'd wanted to get away from him for a little while just to cool off a bit. The intensity of his kiss had startled her. Half of the reason why she was sitting in the back of a police car was the uneasiness that came with all his actions and words.

She knew that she was probably being irrational, but his recent behavior clouded her judgment. She was positive that this sudden display of affection and need was something that he'd been bottling deep inside for quite some time, but her reserve was understandable. She couldn't risk everything for something that was going to be all passion and sweet nothings for just a while.

But her heart was screaming. She needed this. She needed his whole being. She'd needed him for years, longed for his occasional touches and lingering glances, but never dared to do anything about it, until he came back home after three whole months. The almost kiss had haunted her dreams for months, but in the end, she scolded herself for being so week and clingy.

But Tony was still Tony. He was still the arrogant bastard who drove her nuts on a daily basis.

"Miss Potts?" The police officer's voice cut through her inner-struggle. "We're here."

"Thank you, officer." Pepper smiled and got out of the car, mentally slapping herself for over-analyzing things. She headed inside the building and tried to focus on a more important thing: the company.

At least for the moment.

**A/N:** _See this little box below? It'll only take a few seconds, but I'd appreciate it if you left a little review! _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **This chapter contains some adult scenes, but not at all explicit. Also, I would like to thank everyone that has left a review! You rock!**

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His muscles ached, his throat was dry and his skin burned feverishly.

As soon as the suit was off him, Jarvis was kind enough to let him know that the tests for the new element were ready.

"Sir, it appears that the new element is the viable solution for your problem. Future poisoning will be completely avoidable."

"Thanks, J." Tony exhaled happily and made his way upstairs and into the master bathroom, where he pulled out a towel and slid down his neoprene suit which was oozing with sweat and blood.

Grimacing slightly, Tony threw the clothes into the hamper and slid into the shower. As much as his mind was still processing the revolutionary experiment he'd made in his workshop earlier that day, his body was still basking in the warm feeling of love and lust that overcame him as soon as he'd kissed Pepper.

Letting his head fall back against the shower tiles, Tony closed his eyes and grabbed the soap, lathering it in his hands before scrubbing it against his skin. The hot water ran down his back and managed to relax him a little bit. Smoothing down his hands against his chest, Tony let out a heavy breath and imagined Pepper's hands on his skin, soft and petite, yet so warm and perfect.

_Perfect, _his mind kept on echoing as he slid his hand lower and closed his eyes, his legs trembling slightly as he enclosed his hand around his hardened member. He knew it wasn't probably the best time to be taking matters in his own hands, as they say, but honestly, it had been such a long time since he'd felt even remotely turned on as he was at the moment.

"_Pepper_." He breathed out loud, too engrossed in picturing pale skin and countless freckles. He rested one hand against the shower tiles, using it as leverage as he worked himself quicker, almost forgetting how to breathe. The only thing he could think of was her and how much joy he was feeling at the fact that they'd both crossed that line and finally, _finally, _admitted what they'd been denying for years.

It was the perfect feeling. It rivaled even the first flight test in the suit. Actually, nothing could be compared to this sudden blossomed happiness that encompassed his entire being. Groaning through gritted teeth, Tony bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood and squeezed himself harder, feeling his thighs tremble as he reached his climax, panting harshly as the water continued to pour down onto his sore body.

_Sore, my ass, _he thought as he cleaned himself up and washed his hair.

Blissfully sated, Tony turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel. He began to scrub at his hair when suddenly, Jarvis spoke up.

"Sir, Nick Fury is on the line. Also, the Secretary of Defense has left a voicemail while you were in the shower. Shall I put him through?"

Tony groaned and fished out a pair of clean boxers out of the closet.

"Tell him I'm busy." He said and padded downstairs, where he crashed on the couch, planning to stay up until Pepper returned.

"I'm afraid he's insisting."

"I won't hear it, Jarvis." Tony muttered and closed his eyes, realizing that he hadn't cleaned up his cuts and bruises. "Dim the lights a bit and tell Giorgio to grab something fresh to eat. We're all out of food here."

"On it, Sir." The AI replied quickly and dimmed the lights, leaving Tony alone in the darkened room.

What seemed like an eternity later, there was a soft knock at the door. The first to react was Jarvis, who opened it automatically. Tony pried his eyes open and stared at Happy who was looking a bit roughened up.

"Still calling that dirty boxing?" Tony asked amusingly and sat up from the couch before lazily walking up to him. "Who'd you fight?"

In that moment, Pepper made her way inside the penthouse, eyeing him warily.

"Enough with jokes for tonight, guys." Pepper deadpanned as she sat down on an armchair in order to take off her shoes. "Thank you Happy for staying up so late. You'll take tomorrow off."

The chauffeur looked at his boss with a smile and nodded quickly.

"If there's anything else you need me to do, boss, give me a call." Happy said and quietly closed the door behind him as he left.

The redhead stretched lightly and looked Tony over with concerned eyes.

"Is that…" She asked as she looked at the new arc reactor intently. Tony looked down at his chest and saw that the lines that had been there previously had magically disappeared. Silently thanking God, he shrugged and licked his lips.

"Yep. It's a new prototype and it's working. No need to worry over something that's happened in the past." He stated and watched her eyebrows furrow in that typical 'I'm getting angry' Potts face. "Or, you know, we could sleep on it?"

Tony's heart started beating faster the moment that Pepper got up and snorted, brushing past him.

"Typical Tony." She muttered and turned towards him, her nostrils flaring. "Why do I even bother, right? Cause that's what you do. You're always hiding things from me and then you'll brush them off as if they didn't matter in the first place. How can I trust you, Tony? Tell me!"

Tony stood there, confused as to why she was acting that way. He shook his head slightly and opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. His throat closed up and he looked at his feet, shoulders sagging in defeat. She was right, even though he hated to admit that. Deep down, he knew that he'd been the worst coward by not telling her that he was dying. He didn't think it would matter that much to her. That's why he'd chosen to keep that piece of information classified.

"Well?" Pepper prompted and stared at him.

"I was… I was just—" He choked out, suddenly feeling extremely exposed to her, both physically and emotionally.

Pepper seemed to notice this, so she nodded and went upstairs, ignoring the quick throbbing of her heart. When she reached her spare bedroom, she threw aside her purse and sat down on the bed, weaving her fingers through her hair. _God_, how much she hated him right now! He was an infuriating asshole whose sole purpose was to drive her crazy!

Unable to fight off tears anymore, Pepper stood up and began to cry silently, feeling the weight of the world resting on her shoulders. She felt helpless and more alone than ever. She had always put him first, ahead of her own needs. How selfless of her! How could she care about him that much when all he did was to risk his life and joke around? She was absolutely certain that what happened between them, a mere hour ago, was something that he did just out of being adrenaline fueled.

Pepper _knew, _she just knew that he was playing with her. _To him, nothing really matters_, she reasoned, trying to find comfort in the hot water that fell over her in the shower.

Meanwhile, Tony was pacing back and forth in his bedroom, having thrown on a sweater and some pants. He passed a hand through his hair and sat down on his bed, exhaustion finally creeping up on him. He closed his eyes and managed to get in the king sized bed. Pulling the comforter around him, he let out a loud sigh and tried to fall asleep. But the more he tried to fall asleep, the more his eyes began to sting. He hated himself for acting like that around Pepper. She deserved an explanation for his reckless behavior!

_You're a fucking asshole, that's what you are_, he chided himself as he turned on his other side, trying to ignore the dull pain in his chest – a pain that didn't have anything to do with the palladium poisoning.

"Hey, Jarvis?" He called out towards the ceiling.

"How may I be of assistance, Sir?" The AI calmly replied.

"Did Pepper go to sleep?" He asked, contemplating about going over to her and ending this fight his way.

"No, Sir. She's on the phone with the President right now. Shall I give her a message?"

Tony sighed and arranged his pillow beneath his head more comfortably.

"Nope. Thanks, though."

"You're welcome. Good night, Sir."

Tony wasn't capable of staying awake anymore. Instead of barging into Pepper's room, he chose to fall asleep and hoped that the next day would bring him a chance to apologize and to explain everything to her.

When he woke up the next morning, Tony slid out of the bed with a small groan of pain and walked into the bathroom to freshen up. He washed his face and brushed his teeth before casually exiting the bedroom, expecting to find Pepper in the kitchen, talking on the phone over breakfast, but when he reached the kitchen, she was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Pepper?" Tony called out to his faithful AI, who was prompt as usual.

"Miss Potts has left the premises an hour and twenty seven minutes ago."

Tony was dumbstruck. He stood in the doorway and tapped his arc reactor.

"Did she say where she was going?" Dumb question. She was obviously going into the office to sort out the mess he'd created. "Nevermind. I'll be out for a couple of hours. Lock down the place."

Half an hour later, Tony was casually strolling down the SI's corridors, smirking at everyone that paid attention to him. Ignoring Pepper's secretary, who was trying to keep him out of her office, Tony barged in and watched in horror as the Director of the Board turned his head and saw him. _Fuck._

"Um, I'll be back later." Tony mumbled quickly and tried to exit Pepper's office, when her voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What a pleasure, Mr. Stark. Please be kind and join us." Tony's blood ran cold at her tone and he turned around, face totally transfixed.

"I have some pressing matters to attend, Miss Potts." Tony played along, irked about the fact that she was using his first name. "I'm sorry for interrupting you."

The Director of the Board glared at him and the way that Pepper refused to look at him made things even worse. _Well, great,_ he thought. _I officially screwed things up before apologizing, actually. _

"Yikes." He breathed out once he was out of the office, feigning a smile to Pepper's secretary, who was giving him the same look that the director gave him. "Well, back to work, missy." He told her as he went by her desk, heading out towards the cafeteria.

_Two can play this game_, he whispered to himself as he pulled out his phone and called Fury.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony could swear that Fury was going to be a pain in the ass for him. After a long conversation, which consisted of Fury yelling at him over the phone for being an idiot, they both agreed that they would meet over a secret SHIELD hideout in Brooklyn the next day.

Until then, Tony figured out that he might as well get himself some food. Walking into the cafeteria, he was surprised to find Natasha chatting amicably with a forty-year old something employee, who was staring at her cleavage quite intensely. Clearing his throat as he approached them, Tony wrapped his arm around Natasha's waist and grinned down at her.

"Missed me?" Her eyes quickly darted over to his and he felt her muscles twitch under his touch.

"Definitely, Mr. Stark." She replied calmly and watched as the other man stammered an apology and left quickly. "Could you kindly remove your arm, unless, of course, you wouldn't mind me twisting it backwards?"

"Feisty. I like it." Tony smirked and removed his arm from her waist, slipping it in his back pocket. He raised his eyebrow when Natasha didn't start talking. "Still working undercover, I see."

"Well, someone has got to repair all the damage you've managed to create." She bit back and pulled out her phone, typing away. "I'll send in my resignation later today, if that's what you were wondering, Stark."

"You don't want to be my PA anymore?" Tony feigned a pained expression and pressed his hand to his heart in a dramatic way. "I'm deeply hurt."

Natasha threw him a glare and continued typing on her phone.

"By the way, Miss Potts has just entered the room. I suggest you keep my identity unknown to her. No one else must know about my job, Mr. Stark."

"Huh. Well, then you'd better tender your resignation, dear." He said and turned around, watching as Pepper eyed them with confusion. He noticed hurt flash in her eyes before she stared walking back towards her office. Tony swore under his breath and jogged to catch up with her in the hallway.

"I thought you were in a meeting." He breathed out, placing his hand on the small of her back. She didn't flinch away and that made Tony very happy.

"I was. What are you doing here?" She inquired and stepped into the office, pausing in her tracks as the door closed behind them.

Tony's heart rate picked up as soon as she stopped walking. He let his hand fall off her back and stared at her with soft eyes.

"I came to… apologize."

"Well, that's definitely weird." Pepper replied and looked into his eyes, longing for him to wrap his arms around her and kiss her again. Tony noticed her look and approached her slowly, placing both his hands on her hips and pressing his fingertips into the material of her skirt.

"Look, Pepper, I'm the biggest idiot in the world—"

"There's no point in arguing there." She cut him off, breath hitching in her throat as he wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her against his chest. She stood there frozen, not knowing how to react.

Tony sighed heavily and pressed his nose into her neck, hugging her more firmly. His legs felt like jell-o and he was pretty certain that she was feeling the same. He slid one of his hands to the back of her neck and tangled his fingers into her silky hair. Pepper shuddered when he dropped a small kiss to her collarbone and wrapped her arms around his neck, throat closing up at the realization of how close she had been to losing him again.

"Please forgive me." He whispered and held his breath. He could swear that the only thing he could hear was his racing heartbeat.

Pepper was taken aback by this side of him. She slid her hands into his hair and buried her face in his neck, holding him close too, too afraid of letting him go.

"Why did you hide this from me, Tony?" She asked softly into his ear and felt him massage her spine slowly.

She heard him sigh softly. "Because I thought that you'd freak out and I didn't want that. I tried to tell you countless times, but each time you'd do or say something that made me change my mind."

"I would have freaked out." She agreed with him and pulled back to look him in the eyes. "But I would have been there for you, no matter what."

"I know that, Pep, but I thought I didn't matter to you."

"How can you say that?" Hurt flashed again in her eyes. "I told you that I didn't have anyone but you, either. How could you even think that?"

Tony's heart stood still for a moment when he realized what she had just said. "I… I don't know. I'm a mess."

Upon hearing that, Pepper stroked his hair. "We all are, Tony."

"I don't want to be a mess anymore." He whispered and held her eyes. "Do you think you can help me with that?" He watched as she studied his expression carefully and thought of a proper answer.

"Hmm…" Pepper hummed and placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing lightly. "Sure."

Tony's lips turned upwards as he gave her a toothy grin. "That's good news, Miss Potts. I was starting to think you forgot about last night."

"What about last night?" Pepper asked playfully and giggled when he leaned towards her and gave her a deep kiss, hands massaging her back slowly. She hummed again and felt him smile against her lips, trembling from head to toe when he caught her lower lip between his and sucked gently.

"Mmm, Tony." She whispered and wrapped her arms around his neck, grateful that the armor wasn't standing in between them anymore and that she could feel his warm body against hers.

Tony pulled away slowly and nuzzled her nose tenderly before opening his eyes to look at her. He smiled and felt her fingers slide into his hair again.

"Not weird." He breathed out and adjusted his hips quickly, afraid that she'd notice his eagerness.

She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. _God, this woman knows everything!_

"I like you." Tony said and mentally slapped himself for letting that slip out.

Pepper laughed and looked over to her office, where her phone began to buzz.

"Well, I like you too, Stark." She grinned and pulled away from him, walking over to the desk. "But don't think that will make me forget what happened so easily."

"I don't." Tony reassured her and cleared his throat, sitting on the armchair. He let out a soft sigh and watched her talk over the phone, feeling extremely relieved at the turn of events. For once, everything turned out in his favor. He just hoped that he wouldn't screw things up again.

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**A/N: Well, there you go. Have some fluff. Can I get a review in exchange for updating so quickly?**


	4. Chapter 4

Pepper loved Tony.

There was really no doubt about that. She did. She absolutely adored him.

That's why she was currently letting him drool into her hair. She was too comfortable to move, anyway.

Smiling with her eyes closed, Pepper reached down beneath the sheets and placed her hand over his forearm, which was resting around her waist casually. She let her nails scratch the hairs on his arm as she sighed contentedly.

Last night, after a long dinner and some chaste kisses, they went to bed together. As soon as she settled comfortably against her pillow, Tony spooned behind her, asked her if she thought it was okay, then wrapped himself around her, sniffing her hair like a dog.

This is why, when she woke up, she felt his wet mouth on the back of her neck.

"Tony…" She whispered softly and turned into his arms, her heart nearly bursting with joy at the sight of him, all curled up looking relaxed and deep in sleep. She threaded a hand through his hair and marveled at its softness. She wondered how it was possible for them to end up like this, after everything that had happened during the past year.

Pepper leaned closer to his face and watched him sleep for a couple of minutes, inhaling in his scent and smiling every time his arm wrapped itself tighter around her waist. She almost jumped out of her skin when the alarm began buzzing on the nightstand.

She felt him begin to stir next to her as she reached out and pushed the off button with a little yawn.

"Morning." She heard him mumble under his breath as he opened his eyes and smiled at her. It wasn't a typical Tony smile. This time it was a simple, yet shy expression that rendered Pepper breathless for a moment. She brushedthe hair out of her face and slid out of the bed effortlessly, ignoring Tony's groan of protest.

"Hey, you can't _do _that. You can't just walk away like that without at least giving me a kiss."

"I'm not. I'm just taking a shower. And—" She glanced over at Tony and couldn't help the sly grin that appeared on her lips. "You're not going to get a chance to shower with me unless you get back my art collection."

She walked into the master bathroom of the New York penthouse and began to strip when she heard him laugh from the other room.

"And it's _our_ collection, no offense!" She yelled and stepped into the shower.

Half an hour later, she emerged out of the bathroom, all ready for another long day at the office, where she'd have to face another rough round of conferences and meetings. When she walked into the kitchen, she spotted Tony sitting at the counter with a large cup of coffee in his hand, reading away on his tablet. She walked over to him and looked over his shoulder to see what he was reading about. Apparently, he was reading an article over what a marvelous job she'd done with the clean-up at the Expo.

Snorting, Pepper poured herself a cup of coffee and took a bite out of a cheese bagel.

"I'm glad they're finally accepting you as CEO." Tony pointed out and reached out to pull her closer to him. Pepper obligingly granted his wish and felt him press his cheek into her shoulder. "Do you want me to get the jet ready for tonight?"

"Um, actually, I was just thinking about that. With the lawsuit against Hammer, I really have to get back to LA and talk to our lawyers."

"Responsible, as always." Tony smiled and looked up at her, placing the tablet on the counter. "I'll see you on the tarmac, then?"

Pepper nodded and finished off her coffee before placing the cup in the sink. She grabbed her purse and stopped dead in her tracks when she realized that Tony was watching her intently, probably waiting for her to kiss him goodbye. But honestly, she didn't know what to do. As much as she had enjoyed sleeping with him, in the same bed, they hadn't actually talked about how their current affair would change their relationship.

She turned towards him and looked into his eyes, wordlessly begging him to sit up and be the one to kiss her goodbye, but he didn't move one inch. When the silence became awkward, Pepper waved at him and walked out of the penthouse, leaving him sit there with pursed lips.

"Hmm?" Tony hummed and blinked slowly, trying to figure out why they hadn't kissed goodbye. Sitting up, he made his way to the couch, from where he picked up his phone and dialed Natasha's number, eager to find out what Fury had planned for him.

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**A/N: Do you want more kisses? A review would be really appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

For once in his life, Tony planned the return to LA without Pepper's help, though Jarvis had helped him nonetheless. He realized how much of a difference was now, when he didn't have a PA to help schedule him things. He'd appreciated Natashalie's help in the beginning, but that was when she was still someone with a decent reputation – not a triple agent or something. Not that Tony minded that, of course, but over the years, he'd learned whom to trust and whom to ignore, and he'd learned that the hard way; with Obadiah having played the dotting father figure for almost twenty years, then suddenly deciding to have him murdered by a group of terrorists, Tony really didn't have much of a choice.

He'd learned that the only person whom he could genuinely put his life on the line for, was Pepper. And that she'd do the same for him. He hadn't known that Pepper's father had died when she was only thirteen and he found that out by accident one day, when he'd jokingly asked her if he could meet her parents.

It was getting dark outside and planes kept on taking off and landing in the distance, but that didn't seem to matter that much to Tony, who was checking his watch every minute, wondering if Pepper got stuck in traffic. It wouldn't be the first time that happened, Tony reasoned, so there was really no need to worry. Something clicked then and Tony realized that that's how people in love felt like. They worried about things and got all fidgety whenever their significant other was not in their presence. Frankly, that terrified him. He wasn't good at this. He couldn't play the worrying boyfriend, because that was Pepper's role. She was going to be playing the worrying, yet proud girlfriend from now on.

That thought brought him to another realization. Tony looked at his watch again and sighed impatiently, crossing his arms over his chest. He came to the conclusion that he hadn't once asked Pepper how she felt about what they had done, about kissing and cuddling and gah! _Why did he have to use cheesy words? Why?_

What seemed like an eternity later, the Rolls Royce came into his view and Tony sighed happily. When the car stopped next to the jet, he strode over to Pepper's side and opened the door for her, grinning wildly when she stepped out of the car, wearing that secret smile that had always captivated him.

"You're late." Tony pointed out and gave Happy a look.

Pepper suppressed a heavy shudder when Tony wrapped his arm around her shoulders in front of their chauffeur, effectively sending him a non-verbal message that stated that she was taken. She turned her head towards him and closed her eyes for a few seconds when his scent invaded her nostrils, making her knees buckle slightly.

"We're not late. You're early." She replied and lightly touched his arc reactor through his shirt. "Surprisingly, I might add."

Happy watched them quietly and tapped the roof of the car with his fingers, heart breaking at the sight of his idiotic ex-boss now holding Pepper close to him. He was fully aware that something was going on between them and he didn't like it. Happy was pretty certain he loved his boss. Virginia Potts was a beautiful, fully-competent woman and she clearly deserved better. The chauffeur looked at them and sighed deeply before pulling out Pepper's luggage from the trunk and loading them into the jet.

"Am I not allowed to be early for once in my life, Miss Potts?" Tony murmured and felt her hand sneak down to his before some warm fingers interlaced with his. His eyes fluttered quickly for a few moments, heat rising in his cheeks.

"I think it was nice of you to take care of things." She retorted and tugged him towards the steps of the jet. Tony let his thumb stroke her knuckles softly and felt her entire frame shake. It amazed him how much he could affect her by just touching her.

"Anything for you, Miss Potts." He whispered and remained silent as they rode the steps into the jet. Once the door was closed behind them, Pepper excused herself and entered the bathroom to freshen up a little bit.

Tony exhaled softly and took a seat, relaxing slightly. He licked his lips and felt a light shiver run down his spine in anticipation. He was going to ask her on a date in a few minutes and he had all the reasons in the world to be nervous about it. Hell, he could use a shot of something, tequila maybe, but he reasoned she wouldn't agree with that, so he began tapping his foot against the floor repeatedly.

"Why are you burning holes into the floor, Mr. Stark?" Pepper asked playfully once she exited the bathroom, looking more relaxed than ever.

"Huh?" Tony hummed and looked at her, eyes slightly big. "'S nothing. I was just thinking…"

"About what?" Pepper teased him with a smile and approached him. She watched as his pupils dilated and felt him snatch her down into his lap.

"Tony!" She shrieked and wrapped her arms around his neck in order not to fall on the floor.

"About how lucky I am to have you." He confessed breathlessly as his hands massaged her hips. Pepper shivered and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his whole being. She felt him breathing down her neck and she made an effort not to jump out of his arms.

"Miss Potts?" He inquired gently and looked up at her flustered face, hand cupping her cheek.

Pepper opened her eyes and stared down at him, hands sliding into his hair. She played with his soft hair and leaned her forehead against his, heart hammering wildly in her chest.

"Will you go out with me, on, like a date or something—" Tony stammered nervously, hands pulling her closer to him.

The redhead closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek against his, entranced by his behavior.

"I mean, if that's what you want, because if you don't, that's fine, too, but you know, you're my everything and all and I would want you to want this too."

Pepper bit the inside of her cheek from laughing and covered his lips with hers in a soft kiss, trembling from head to toe when he opened his mouth and licked her lips, turning up the temperature in the jet a few degrees more.

"Please." He whispered against her lips, feeling dizzy and breathless at the same time.

"Please what?" She teased him with a giggle, tugging on his hair lightly as his goatee brushed down her long neck.

"Be mine." She heard him rasp against her skin. In that moment, her insides turned to squish.

Pepper stroked his head and pulled him to her chest, pressing a kiss to his hair.

"I'm yours." She breathed out and felt him smile widely against her collarbone, before squeezing her tightly against him.

"Mmm, good." Tony hummed and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the base of her neck, tongue darting out to taste her skin. He heard her gasp in surprise and he proceeded to make his way up to her lips by kissing her neck slowly, breathing heavily. When he reached her lips he opened his eyes and stared into hers for a moment before slowly kissing her jaw, cheeks and temple, savoring the taste of her sweet skin.

"Tony, please stop." She begged him in a breathless voice, fingers tugging on his hair.

He pulled away quickly in confusion and stared at her.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid we'll both have trouble with control if we keep this up." She explained, pupils dilated.

Tony cleared his throat and looked out the window for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Okay." He agreed gently, much to her surprise. He let her slide off his lap and into her seat, crossing his legs casually before tugging on his collar slightly, feeling beads of sweat starting to fall down his temples.

This was going to be harder than he'd expected. He tried to take slow breaths, in order to stop himself from snatching her again and drag her to the bedroom where he'd love her so hard. The sweet taste of her skin lay on his lips, reminding him with every passing second of how much he wanted her. He watched as she pulled out her BlackBerry and began tapping away, completely oblivious to his inner-struggle.

Five minutes later, the pilot walked into the room and asked if they were ready to take off. Nodding his head in approval, Tony relaxed against his seat, brushing away the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand.

This flight was going to prove if he could restrain himself or not…

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**A/N: Thanks guys for all your reviews! They were very much appreciated. How about you leave some more? :D**


	6. Chapter 6

A little bit over two hours had passed by the time that Tony sat up from his chair, ready to crash in the jet's bedroom. The past few days had taken a toll on him and his body was most certainly asking for some decent rest – not just a few hours, but a full sleep cycle that would place him right back on track. During the time they'd been in the air, heading back towards Los Angeles, Tony had watched her type away on her phone for more than ten minutes, before deciding she would find it rather creepy, than protective or affectionate. Instead, he'd pulled out his own phone and wrote down a couple of ideas that he had come up with after the battle with Vanko.

When those ideas ran out, he stood up, straightening his back with a small groan of pain, immediately receiving Pepper's full attention. After he convinced her that he was fine, just a couple of bruises here and there, he gave her a small smile and said he was going to go to bed, whereas they still had five hours before they got home. When she took her seat back, he had to admit that he was disappointed a bit, because he was expecting her to follow him. In between the clean-up and the countless conferences and meetings, Tony was certain she hadn't slept more than he did in the past couple of days.

Having closed the door of the bedroom behind him, Tony sighed heavily and stripped down to his boxers. The arousal was still there, nonetheless, but this time he didn't feel like doing anything about it. He was sick of having to take care of it himself every single time that she said or did something that aroused him. He wanted her. _Badly_. But apparently these things took time while in a committed relationship. He wasn't going to comment on that. If Pepper wanted things to go slow, they would.

Despite his growing frustration.

Just when he was about to doze off, the door creaked open, letting in a small ray of light. Tony squinted his eyes towards the door and sat up a little, watching as Pepper made her way inside, murmuring a small apology.

"Were you asleep? I'm sorry." She whispered and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him stare at her in awe.

"Hey…" Tony murmured back. "Missed me, Potts?"

His heart leaped a bit when he heard her laugh and felt her slid in the bed next to him.

"Hmm?" He insisted and watched her press her cheek into her pillow, looking comfortable in a tank top and yoga pants.

"Did you want me to sleep on the couch?" Pepper asked, mildly amused by his giddy attitude.

"No, that's—no, of course not." Tony stammered and lay down back against the bed, passing a hand through his hair. "Mmm, hi." He smiled and pulled her to him, feeling her tuck her head under his chin. He could have sworn that his heart stopped for a moment when she did that, rendering him completely breathless.

"Hi." She whispered against his arc reactor and closed her eyes tightly, suddenly feeling extremely tired. Stiffling a yawn, Pepper nuzzled her nose against the cover of the reactor. "Goodnight, Tony."

Tony smiled against the top of her head and closed his eyes as well, hand stroking random patterns over her bare shoulder. "Sleep tight, Pep."

When he woke up, Tony realized they had already landed. He quickly checked his watch and saw that it was half past one in the morning. Yawning gently into his fist, he gazed down at Pepper who was sleeping peacefully against his chest. He brushed the hair out of her face with trembling fingers, still feeling unaccustomed to intimacy and how it all worked. Pulling away from her slowly, he realized that she wasn't going to wake up so easily, so he padded over to his pants and shirt, quickly putting them on and exiting the bedroom. Tony pulled out his phone and dialed Happy's number, knowing that he had probably gotten back to LA the day before and that he was probably waiting for them on the tarmac.

"Hey honey—" Tony murmured when Happy picked up. "Are you at the airport to pick us up?"

Tony heard Happy stifle a laugh and he smiled himself, suddenly feeling extremely ecstatic that he was finally home.

"Yes and I've been waiting for over an hour. I'm just outside the jet. I'll come pick up the luggage."

"Good boy." Tony said and hung up, walking back to the bedroom and quietly picking Pepper up in his arms. When she didn't bat one eyelash, he made his way out of the jet and into the waiting limo, where Happy was loading the luggage into the trunk. Nodding his head towards him, Tony slid in the backseat, and tucked Pepper against his side, wrapping his arms around her as she slept, cheek resting against his shoulder.

_I'm such an asshole for making her work so hard. _

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." He whispered against her forehead.

When Happy got into the car, Tony asked him to take them back to his mansion, momentarily forgetting about the mess he'd done while trying to create the new element. When they got there, Tony swallowed hard and thanked his ex-chauffeur and bodyguard before stepping out of the car with a sleeping Pepper in his arms. She was light like a feather, so Tony had no problem getting her into the bedroom without Happy's help.

After he carefully placed her on the bed, he pulled the duvet over her and asked Jarvis to turn up the temperature a few degrees. He debated on whether he should stay with her the rest of the night or try to clean up as much as he could, because he was certain that when she woke up she would probably start yelling at him and start calling him an asshole again. In the end, he decided on the latter.

Cleaning up the workshop would certainly drain all the energy he had left, but it was probably the right thing to do, unless he wanted her to make a scene and risk her breaking up with him. And that was a chance he wasn't willing to take.

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**A/N: Hmm… Will Pepper make a scene when she sees the state that the mansion is in, or try to help him re-decorate. State your choice through a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

"OH MY GOD!" Was Pepper's initial reaction the moment she opened her eyes. She realized that she had just rolled out of Tony Stark's bed. Yes, she couldn't really believe it herself, but still, she was extremely turned on by the fact that she smelled just like him.

It would have been a really good day if, when she stood up, she wouldn't have nearly fell through a large hole in the floor.

"Jarvis!" She shrieked and pressed a hand over her heart, mentally planning to scold Tony for trashing the floor of his bedroom. "Where's Tony?"

"It would appear that Mr. Stark is in the living room with at least a dozen people."

Pepper looked out the window for a few long seconds, momentarily confused.

"What's he doing?" She asked carefully, feeling rather skeptical of the AI's answer.

"I was given strict orders from Mr. Stark not to tell you. He has also asked me to tell you to remain in the bedroom and get as much rest as possible, given the fact that it's Saturday and you have nothing on the agenda for today."

Upon hearing that, Pepper became more suspicious. She pursed her lips and turned on her heels, heading for the door. As soon as she was out in the hallway, she could hear loud noises coming from the workshop. This time, Pepper was certain it wasn't music. She brushed the hair out of her face and gasped loudly when she reached the staircase. She distinctly remembered it being hit by Tony's repulsor ray, but she had expected the mess to be gone by now. _Clearly not._

The moment she stepped into the workshop, her breathing stopped. Her eyes dilated as she took in the sight around her. The place was a mess. Dust was floating in the air and loud banging sounds rang in her ears.

"Tony!" She half-yelled. "Oh my god, you've got to be kidding me!"

At the sound of her panicked voice, Tony's ears perked up and he came running over to her, mentally preparing a speech in case she'd freak out. Which she was, but only a little bit.

"Hey! Hi. How'd you sleep?" Tony asked her and stood awkwardly in front of her, sweat dripping down his back.

"Are you—are you kidding me, Tony?! What's all of this? When did this happen?" She started to ramble when she noticed a trace of blood coming from his hairline. "What happened?"

This time she made sure she used a gentler voice, so that she wouldn't freak him out too much. Reaching out to touch his forehead, she saw that it was indeed a new injury.

"Did you hit your head?" Pepper murmured and felt him flinch away from her touch, eyes downcast. "Tony?"

"Mr. Stark bumped his head against one of the pipes earlier today." Jarvis chimed in.

"It's nothing—" Tony began, but Pepper cut him off, turning angrier by the minute.

"You might have cracked your skull open and you say it's _nothing?!_" Her voice raised half an octave.

"Look, Pepper, I'm busy. What do you want?" He yelled back, irritated that she wasn't letting him talk.

That rendered Pepper speechless for the better part of a minute. She stared at him, not being able to remember the last time he'd used that tone with her. She swallowed hard and watched as his ice-cold eyes stared at her.

Shaking her head in disapproval, Pepper straightened her posture and put on her professional mask.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

Tony closed his eyes for a moment, realizing that he'd done a huge mistake. He mentally slapped himself for yelling at her, but he was exhausted and the constant scolding wasn't helping at all.

"I'm sorry, Pepper." Tony tried and reached down to touch her hand, but she flinched away, just like he did. His eyes snapped back to hers and he swallowed hard, jaw tightening. "What's wrong?"

Pepper turned away from him and coughed from the dust.

"What's wrong?!" She laughed. "I almost fell through a hole in the floor because you failed to notice me. Why didn't you leave me off at my place, instead of bringing me here in this mess?"

Tony followed her and placed his hand on her arm, effectively stopping her from walking upstairs.

"I forgot okay? I forgot about the mess. I just… I just wanted to be with you." Tony confessed and held her eyes. "You fell asleep with me and I thought… I thought you'd want to be here when you woke up, but… clearly, I was mistaken. I shouldn't have taken you here."

When she failed to say something back, Tony looked down at her arm and released his hold on her.

"I'll call Happy and have him get you home. I should have realized that you wouldn't feel up to redecorating after everything that's happened this week, but I didn't."

Pepper nodded slowly. "Well, it's your house and I'm not your PA anymore. You can't just ask me to make time to clean up your mess, when you clearly know what I don't have any. I'll call Happy myself."

Sighing deeply, Tony shrugged awkwardly and watched her leave, his heart starting to hurt. He couldn't believe that he managed to piss her off again. Groaning, he started to run upstairs after her.

"Pepper!" He ground out breathlessly at the top of the stairs. "Please don't leave. I need you here."

The redhead turned around in surprise and barely had time to blink before Tony wrapped his arms around her.

"Ugh, Tony, you're dirty." She moaned in disgust and placed her hands on his chest, laughing at the same time.

"Well, it just happens that I'm dirty all over my body, Potts. Don't you want to help me clean up?"

"Tony…" Pepper breathed out slowly and smiled. "Are you saying you want to have sex, right now?"

At that, Tony's mouth fell open, lips opening invitingly. Pepper hummed gently and held his eyes for a few long seconds, shuddering when he slid his roughened hands down to her ass and pulled her tightly to his groin. She gasped and heard him groan loudly, fingers tightening over his workshirt.

"Potts." He whispered and caught her lips into a searing kiss, rocking his hips against hers slightly. "Mmmfuck—need you so bad."

Pepper slid her hands up his shoulders and around his neck, kissing him equally as passionate, moaning as his teeth bit her lower lip.

"Stark." She whispered back breathlessly, pulling back a little. "I need you, too, but not right now, when there are a dozen of people downstairs."

"I can make them go away." He promised and leaned down to kiss her neck slowly. "So we can be alone."

Pepper shuddered hard and closed her eyes tightly.

"Tony, listen." She said and tugged at his shirt. "Let's get done with the house first and then we'll see, ok?"

She felt his groan vibrate against her skin and watched as his eyes were lust black when he pulled back. When he realized that she wasn't kidding, Tony pulled away and let out a shuddering breath.

"So, house first." He echoed her, hands hovering over her shoulders. "And also, when you said it was _my _house, you probably meant our house, just so you know." He winked at her, leaving her completely confused for the tenth time that day. This man would never cease to amaze her.

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**A/N: So. Sex? **


	8. Chapter 8

"Can the two of you just stop making out in the hallway? People are asking about you, Tony, you can't just disappear like that." Rhodey scolded the pair which was currently hiding in the darkened hallway of Rhodey's LA apartment. The reconciliation between them had started off slow, but Tony was pretty certain that Rhodey was going to cave in and apologize for stealing his suit.

At the moment, at least fifty people were roaming around Rhodey's apartment, drinking alcohol and making small talk. The reason why they were all gathered there had something to do with Rhodey's new promotion. Tony had no idea why people were asking about him, though and that made him irky. _Oh, right, because I'm Iron Man,_ he thought.

"Look, we were offended the first time you brought it up, sourpatch, but calling out on us for kissing, once again, just asks for a re-match between Iron Man and whatever your suit's name is." Tony protested and wrapped his right arm around Pepper's middle, fingers tightening over her hip possessively. If it weren't for the simple fact that he and Rhodey still had a little bit of respect for one another, Tony admitted to himself that he would have placed a punch straight into his stomach.

Even though Tony's attention was directed towards his old buddy, he was completely aware of Pepper breathing next to him, tucked into his side. He could feel the soft brush of her breast against his ribcage and the result was probably going to make him regret thinking about it.

"Just tell them I left, buddy." He eyed Rhodey with a smirk. "Can I still call you that?"

Just when those words left his mouth, he felt Pepper pinch his side and he yelped.

"Potts, don't _do _that." He breathed out and gave her a look.

"Okay. This is definitely weird." Rhodey stated, hands folding over his chest. "What are you doing still latched together is beyond my comprehension. Spill out. Are you guys _doing _this or what?"

Pepper looked at Tony for a moment, watching as his face betrayed the clear look of happiness that came with mentioning their current affair, and nodded.

"Well, you'll be the first to know that Pepper and I are officially a… thing." Tony hesitated and bit his lower lip, blinking quickly before looking away, clearly flustered. Rhodey had to admit that he had seen Tony go through lots of situations before, but this time, he could swear that the man was purely and sickeningly in love with Pepper.

"Yes, um…" Pepper agreed and gave Rhodey a small smile, heart beating extremely fast in her chest. Even though they had been hiding in the most secluded part of Rhodey's apartment, making out for what had to be like fifteen minutes, she had to admit that the rush of someone seeing them act like that together was making her head spin.

Rhodey smiled back and stroked Pepper's bare arm, secretly thanking whatever deity got his two best friends together, because it was so long overdue.

"I'm happy for you two. It seems that Tony has finally gotten his head out of his ass and manned up." He snickered and felt Tony's fist playfully collide with his shoulder. "Take care of each other. You both deserve this…"

They were both lonely people and that's what made them fit together so well.

With one final smile, Rhodey walked away, leaving the couple alone in the dark. In that moment, Tony wrapped his other arm around Pepper and pressed her back against the wooden wall, breathing slowly against her cheek. He shuddered when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his ear softly.

"Do you think it was weird?" He murmured and sighed slowly, nose nuzzling her collarbone.

"Well, we've definitely phased him." Pepper said, laughing a little but then stopped when she felt him hug her tighter air leaving her lungs as he did so.

She felt his warm lips brush hotly against the side of her neck, making it all that harder for her to breathe. She swallowed hard and let her own hands roam against his shoulders.

"Tony…" She breathed out, already feeling moist and needy for him.

"Pepper…" He whispered back, rough hands parting her legs slowly.

Sobering up a little, Pepper placed her hands over his chest and pushed him back a little.

"Tony, we're not teenagers. I can't do it like this." She exhaled breathlessly, head resting against the wall. She swallowed thickly and felt him pull back.

Tony placed his hands on her hipbones and looked into her eyes, nodding slowly.

"I know… It just feels like we've been at this foreplay thing for more than a decade." Tony explained and laughed a little.

Pepper's phone buzzed in her purse just when she was about to tell him that she shared the same feeling. Tony pulled away and scoffed when she fished it out of her purse.

"I thought I said this wasn't going to be business related—"

"Hello?" She answered, pulling away from Tony, who looked at her expectantly. She made her way over to one of the windows which was open and took in a breath. As always, business had to ruin this perfect little moment. Five minutes in, Pepper thanked whoever had called her and hung up, turning towards Tony with a look of frustration across her face.

"They called to see if I was going to attend the Paris annual meeting." She mumbled and brushed the hair out of her face. "I have to go."

"What?" Tony asked, suddenly feeling dumbfounded. "What do you mean you have to go?"

"The meeting starts tomorrow and I haven't packed anything." Pepper said and looked at him with a sad smile. "I'll be gone for one week."

"You—no. That's not… I'm not letting you go."

"Tony, it's just one week."

"I don't care about that. We just came back from New York this week. I thought you were going to help me with the house." He gave her his best puppy-eye impression, but she didn't fall for that. She never actually did.

"I know, but this is important for the company." Pepper tried to make him understand.

"I was actually looking forward to picking out a new bed for the bedroom, but now you're leaving?!" He scoffed and swallowed hard, feeling his chest constrict out of pure frustration. All of his plans had suddenly blown up. "I was going to make you dinner tomorrow and we could've watched some porn together… you know, it sets the mood—hey!"

Pepper glared at him and brushed past him.

"Okay, no porn! Pep, wait!" He begged. "Let me drive you back to your place."

Sighing in despair, Tony led Pepper out of the apartment and drove her to her apartment, dreading the next week.

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**A/N: Anticipation, right?**


	9. Chapter 9

"Being in a relationship with you doesn't make you the center of my universe." Pepper said over the phone, sitting on the bed of her 5000 dollars a night suite in Paris. "Also, don't flatter yourself for sending me those flowers. I hate roses."

"Aww, come on, Potts. Why are you being mean? Corporate businessmen stressing you over there? Should I take the suit for a spin and kick their asses?" Tony snickered, hands typing furiously over his keyboard.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm more than qualified to take care of myself."

"Oh-kay." Tony replied, scratching at his hair distractedly. It had been four days since Pepper left and Tony had to admit that he missed her constant scolding, but more importantly, the taste of her lips. "Miss me, Potts?"

"Don't push it." She answered, licking a spoonful of chocolate ice-cream.

Tony groaned and bit his lower lip, taking in a deep breath before spilling out what he had planned on telling her the moment she answered the phone.

"Well, I miss you. And I know that's a lot coming from a guy like me, hell, I don't even know why I said that, but I wanted you to know that, in case you missed me too, but since you don't—"

Pepper laughed at that, thinking that he was joking.

"You really want to just have your way with me, don't you?" She asked, then held her breath, already knowing what his answer would be.

There was a long pause and she thought that the connection got cut off, but then she heard Tony sigh.

"Okay. I guess I deserved that." He murmured and cleared his throat, feeling it closing up. "I'm sorry if you think this is all that is to it. Don't worry. I deserve that and much more. I guess it'll take some time before you realize that I genuinely want this to work."

Pepper was flabbergasted. She let the spoon fall down from her lips and scrunched her nose.

"I should hang up. It's really late here and I have an important meeting in the morning, so…"

She felt bad. She really did. But she couldn't handle all of this. Pepper didn't know how to react to him just yet, so she figured it would be easier for her to just ignore it for a while.

"Yeah…" She heard Tony's broken voice and she shuddered. "Bye."

But before she could reply, he had already hung up. Staring at the phone for a few long minutes, Pepper then threw it next to her on the bed, getting ready to make some final modifications to a contract. As soon as she took a hold of her favorite pen, her mind blacked out and she stared out the window, remorse filling up her chest.

"Oh, Tony." She sighed and picked up her phone, texting Tony a quick message.

_I was lying when I said I didn't miss you. I need you here with me. Please hurry. _

She pressed send and placed the phone next to the contract, but didn't have a chance to take a breath, before it buzzed, revealing Tony's message.

_I'm on my way._

* * *

**A/N: Okay. This is short. I know. But I needed to get this done with so I could get to the ****_good _****part. Do you know what that is?**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Okay. THIS CONTAINS SEX. SEX. LOTS OF IT. STAY AWAY IF YOU'RE UNDERAGE!**

* * *

It had been 1 hour and 47 minutes since Pepper received Tony's message and suffice to say, she was surprised that the suit could actually cross both the US and the Atlantic Ocean in such quick time. When she heard the knock at the door, she took in a deep breath, cheeks growing red and sat up, making her way over to the door. When she reached it, Pepper swallowed hard, heart hammering wildly in her chest. She could actually hear her pulse in her ears, mentally scolding herself for being so weak. Even if the scolding didn't do much to relieve the pressure she felt, Pepper was certain that once she would open the door, all of her senses would go into overload.

Before she made a move to open the door, she heard a second knock, this time a louder one. She smiled to herself and took one final look into the mirror before slowly opening the door. Tony stood there, suit encased in one of his hands, wearing a dark blue shirt and black jeans. He looked absolutely delicious and finally, _oh god, finally, _after years of yearning, she was about to have him.

"Hi." She exhaled, flustered from the tips of her hair to her toes.

She watched in delight as Tony's face features softened and his lips turned upwards into a small smile.

"So I was right, after all." He stated and walked inside, placing the armor next to the coat hanger, rendering Pepper completely breathless and wide-eyed. "About you missing me." He clarified and closed the door behind him with his leg, hand reaching back to lock it with the key.

"Mmm, that might be true." Pepper agreed softly and raised an eyebrow at him, eyes pleading with his just to end up with all the small talk and just kiss her. "But I think you missed me more."

"Oh, I _did._" He drawled out, voice feral like. Pepper felt goose bumps rise on her skin and her knees turned to jelly when his arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him almost desperate like. She let out a small gasp, but it quickly got cut off by his lips crashing into hers. The sudden heat and wetness made them both moan in unison, though in different tones.

Pepper stroked her hands along his muscular arms, gripping his biceps when his tongue slipped inside of her mouth, effectively miming what he was going to do to her lower parts later. She moaned again, heat rising up in her cheeks, almost feverishly like. Her head was spinning so badly that she had to wrap her arms around his neck, nails scratching the back of his neck with long overdue need.

"Mmm, bed." She ground out once his lips moved off hers, trailing paths of wetness along her jaw and neck. "Please, Tony." She begged when she felt his hands sneak down to her backside and squeeze her buttocks with a deep, guttural groan. She trembled hard, fingers knotting in his soft hair, almost ripping a part of it off when his lips enclosed around the spot that made her lose all the remaining shreds of dignity.

Tony sucked harder, eliciting a sexy groan from her. He grinned wildly and breathed in the scent of her skin, chest heaving with all the emotion bottled up inside.

Never had the process of getting into a bed seemed harder to both of them. Somehow, while stumbling their way towards the large bed, Pepper managed to turn off the lights, almost falling over if it wasn't for Tony, whose arms held her securely against his chest. Once her head hit the soft sheets, Pepper let out a soft whimper, hands reaching down to unbutton Tony's shirt.

Upon hearing the small whimper coming from her, Tony settled his body on hers, careful as to not crush her. He brought his hand up to her face and cupped her cheek, angling her head towards his as he slowly kissed her, pausing briefly every few seconds to kiss the corners of her lips, chin and nose. His entire being was on fire. He couldn't remember another thing that had ever made him feel like this, like a burning comet falling down from the sky. Even though he was under the impression that he was failing to express how he felt through his actions, Pepper felt every little tremor and nervous inhalation.

When he pulled back a little, her eyes flew straight to his and she held them for a few long moments, feeling stunned at how much emotion and vulnerability was hidden behind them. Her hands slackened on his shirt as the buttons were all undone and she breathed against his lips, letting that moment just be. After a little while, her lips turned upwards in a smirk and she watched his face as her thumbs brushed against his nipples. She had expected him to make a sly remark, but instead his eyes fluttered closed tightly and his hips jerked slightly against hers.

"Not fair." He muttered and sat up slightly on his knees, hands sliding off her nightgown off her shoulders, revealing her freckle-dusted pale skin. Tony let a small groan at the sight of those freckles that he had wanted to taste so many times before, and leaned down, letting his mouth trail fire against her creamy skin.

As soon as he started planting kisses down her shoulders and collarbone, Pepper pushed his shirt off his muscular back and let her fingers dance against his toned abs and pecs, tracing the arc reactor, while marveling at what a special role it had in both their lives.

Letting out a heavy sort of trembling sigh, Pepper let her hands skim down his hips, fingers tightening over the material of his jeans. She kissed his exposed shoulder and bit it gently before cupping his ass cheeks with her hands, eyes closing involuntarily at the wave of arousal that hit her instantly.

"I knew you've always had a thing for my ass, Potts." She heard him laugh against her skin, somehow managing to slide off the nightgown entirely down to her hips, leaving her bare in front of him. What followed next was lips, goatee, love bites, tongue, _oh, god, so much tongue. _After he'd finished exploring her naked chest and abdomen, he hooked his fingers into the hem of her panties and pressed his lips to her thighs, regretting his choice in jeans that night.

In all fairness, Pepper managed to wrestle him out of his jeans as well, snorting at the fact that he wasn't wearing any underwear. "Stark naked. I should have known."

They both laughed at that and rolled in bed, ending with Pepper above him. She leaned down and gave him a searing kiss, gasping when, in a swift movement, he simply ripped off her panties, sending the material flying across the room.

"Rule number one in the Stark household-" He said, hands stroking her upper-thighs. "No panties allowed when I'm around. Got it?" Tony murmured and bit her lower lip before sucking it tenderly between his moist lips.

Pepper's nails bit into his skin at the rough kiss and pulled back a little, eyes holding his in warning.

"Right now we're not even in your household, _Stark._" Pepper breathed and reached down between them to poise him at her entrance.

Tony's fingers tightened on her hips involuntarily and he let his mouth fall open when she simply slid down, engulfing her into her luxurious warmth. His groan rendered her breathless, hands on the either side of his head. She closed her eyes tightly and through the mind blowing haze she felt him place his hands on her ass, squeezing lightly with another groan of passion. She cried out a little at the contact of his skin against hers and let herself get lost in the slow rhythm of their lovemaking. His hands weren't static, they stroked every little patch of available skin, from her calves to her shoulder blades; he wasn't quiet either, his groans getting more frequent with each thrust. His lips covered hers in deep kisses, tongues battling for dominance as she rode him in an unhurried pace, taking pleasure in each movement.

Fingers tightening in Tony's hair, Pepper pulled him into an open-mouthed kiss, moaning his name as he buried himself completely inside of her, hands tightening roughly against her buttocks, grinding into her. The friction was enough for her to stiffen in his embrace, eyes tightly closed as she rode her orgasm through. Tony watched her with wide eyes, surging into her faster and deeper, until his own orgasm took over him, rendering him breathless and limp with exhaustion against the sheets.

Feeling more emotionally exhausted than ever, he chose to stay silent until Pepper said something. He needed the approval and the reassurance that what they just did was something that meant the world to her. With his thighs still trembling from the post-orgasmic ecstasy, he let his hand stroke up and down her spine until they caught their breath.

When she slid off him, he almost protested, but she compensated the lack of warmth by placing her head on his chest, hand stroking his arc reactor absent-mindedly. Her silence worried him, but he chose to let her be the one to break it.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony couldn't remember the last time he had been so anxious about something, thing which said a lot about the gravity of the situation. After Pepper snuggled into his side, Tony took the liberty to reach for the duvet and pulled it onto their sweaty bodies, wrapping his left arm around her shoulders while tracing random patterns on her skin. He closed his eyes tightly and pressed his mouth to her hair, inhaling softly before placing a tender kiss to the crown of her head.

Pepper sighed softly, lips brushing against his chest. The whole experience had rendered her speechless and powerless, but even though she felt sated, her mind was still spinning with the realization of what they had just done. She wondered what he was thinking; if she had pleased him or if she couldn't compare to all those bimbos he used to bring home almost every night before Afghanistan. Pepper knew that Tony had changed into a better man and that he was trying to prove this to her, but sometimes, when she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, all the memories came flooding back to her: _the palladium poisioning, the Monaco attack, his disastrous birthday party, him openly flirting with Natalie in front of her just to make her feel bad, the Expo_ and so many other times when he had let her down.

Even though she had enjoyed the night immensely, Pepper was still wary. She still had doubts and worries. But she hoped that everything would work out and that things wouldn't be as messy as they were right then.

With all those thoughts consuming her, sleep claimed her for the better part of the night.

When the alarm went off, she reached out and turned it off, hand supporting the duvet over her chest as she did so. It was unnerving how the whole situation felt to her. She watched as Tony's eyes fluttered open and saw him stare at her for a really long time, until she tore her eyes away and looked at the bed instead.

"Hey…" She heard him whisper quietly before his warm hand encased her wrist in a secure grip.

She blinked down at their hands and licked her lips nervously, before holding his gaze softly. When she felt his gentle tug, Pepper let the duvet fall down from her chest and molded into his embrace, hand sliding up his neck and into his hair, lips yielding with his in a languid kiss.

Tony exhaled happily into her mouth and wrapped his arms around her naked waist, kissing her back enthusiastically.

"What do I have to say to convince you to stay with me instead of going to that boring meeting?" He mumbled against her lips, sliding one hand into her hair.

"It's not boring." Pepper replied breathlessly, her whole body convulsing lightly when his hand brushed against her ass. "Tony…"

Her breathless voice made him raise an eyebrow and put on the trademark smirk on his face.

"Last night was… um…" She tried to explain without making it sound so cheesy. "It was something I needed."

"Desperately." Tony added with a smug grin, earning a light punch against his shoulder.

"You're such an asshole." Pepper moaned and pulled back, placing her hand on his chest to keep him from standing up.

Only Tony could have made that comment and even though she knew that he'd meant it as a joke, deep inside Pepper knew that she should have expected him to think of her advances as an ultimate desperation.

"Hey! That's it?!" He asked incredulously, leaning his head against his bicep as he stared at her from beneath his long eyelashes. Sometimes Pepper wondered how it was possible for him to have such an amazing pair of eyes.

"Yes, that's it." Pepper said simply and sat up, giving him a glorious view of her bare backside, and headed for the bathroom.

An hour later, she walked out of the bathroom, fully dressed in a two piece white suit that made her look like she'd emerged out of a fashion catalog. She had tied up her hair into a ponytail and applied some make-up, effectively hiding away all the marks he'd made on her skin the night before.

"So you're going to avoid looking at me from now on just because we had sex last night?"

His question stopped her dead in her tracks and she brushed a hand against her blazer, lips trembling slightly. She was glad that her back was towards him so that he wouldn't see her so vulnerable.

"I'm trying to find my contract." She tried lamely, the lie obvious in the tone of her voice.

"Bullshit." Tony mumbled and sat up in the bed, resting against the headboard. "Why won't you look at me, Potts? Was I that bad? Did you expect me to be bigger or, or… more emotionally involved? Cause you're pissed and I can smell the anger off of you from here."

Pepper turned around sharply and faced him.

"Emotionally involved?!" She echoed him. "I'm not expecting you to be emotionally involved. The only thing I needed was for you not to be smug about the whole deal. Yes, I slept with you. But you don't have to look like you've just crossed it off the list in your head."

Tony stared at her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I didn't-"

"Didn't what? Cross it off a list? I bet you almost tripped over your feet before knocking on this door, Tony. I am absolutely aware of what it meant for the each one of us, but I thought that at least you'd have the decency not to spit out in my face the fact that I was so _damn_ _eager _to fuck you."

That rendered Tony speechless. His eyes widened and he shook his head, quickly reaching down to grab his boxers. He watched in horror as she grabbed a file and headed for the door, with her lips tightened in anger.

"Pepper, wait!" He cried out and followed her.

"Don't follow me." Pepper huffed angrily and closed the door in his nose, marching towards the elevator.

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**A/N: More fighting or more lovemaking? You can state your choice below!**


	12. Chapter 12

After having the door closed in his nose, Tony stood there, millimeters away from it. He let out a low groan and thumped his head against it several times before turning around and walking back towards the bed. He scrambled with the sheets and placed his head on her pillow, sighing deeply. He didn't understand why she couldn't give him more credit. Because he was trying his hardest to be a decent boyfriend, but he was new at this stuff, so she ought to cut him some slack, but no…

He really shouldn't have pointed her eagerness out, because he was perfectly aware that he'd been as eager as her the night before, if not more so. But the sex had been amazing, he'd give her that. It held a new level of intimacy that Tony wasn't really ready to face yet, but he was willing to try. _There goes all the moaning and wild sex, _he thought. _Better read some shit about tender kissing and appropriate words for this type of encounter._

But the whole thing was that it was hard. Tony had thoroughly examined each possibility of problems after entering a relationship with her. Jarvis did some statistics too, but he hadn't imagined it would be _so difficult. _Pepper was special, she was perfect. He wasn't. He was flawed and had a thick record with womanizing in the past. While that had been fun in the past, he'd long gone sick of feeling alone all the time.

Tony stood there with her pillow in his arms, sniffing out of it regularly for quite some time before coming up with a plan. The moment it hit him, he jumped out of the bed and into the shower, getting cleaned quickly, but not before mentally imagining her there with him, under the spray, taking care of him in a _special _way.

After he got out of the shower, hair dripping wet, he grabbed a towel and rubbed it against his head, effectively drying most of it. He found his shirt on the floor and picked it up, putting it on. He did as well with his jeans and sneakers before making his way to the giant mirror in the hallway, where he brushed his hair and winked at himself, admiring his sexy self.

He grabbed the room card and locked it, heading for the exit. He pulled out his phone and dialed one of his trusted employees from the Paris SI subdivision and asked him to get him an Audi R8 ready for that night, along with a few suits and other outfits delivered at his private apartment. When he reached the streets, he put on his sunglasses and called Happy, who was staying in the same hotel as Pepper and asked him to pick up his armor later and deliver it to his apartment, as well. If he detected jealousy in Happy's voice, Tony wouldn't comment on it.

After all, Pepper was his. Or was she? He didn't know anymore. He had to straighten things up with her and show her that he cares more about the feelings than the physical part, but how could he do that? _Dammit._

Calling out for a taxi, he asked the driver to take him to the SI building, where the annual convention took place. When he got there, he entered the building and asked one of the receptionists where he could find Pepper. The woman replied in a heavy French accent that she'd left with Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors. Tony scrunched his nose and bit the inside of his cheek, wondering what the hell he was doing at the convention in the first place. Thanking the woman, he hurriedly got out his Stark phone and traced Pepper's phone signal.

His jealousy got the best of him, much to this dismay. Getting into the nearest taxi, he sped off to Pepper's location, heart hammering in his chest. _If she's trying to make me jealous, I swear to God. _

The small French bistro made Tony sick to his stomach. He stepped out of the car and watched his girlfriend and Musk sitting at a corner table, looking like they were discussing business. But that didn't convince Tony and his sudden throbbing vein at his temple. He tightened his fists and casually made his way over to their table, sunglasses still perched on top of his nose.

"Miss Potts. Elon!" He greeted with a huge grin, masking his jealousy pretty lamely.

Pepper turned sharply at the sound of his voice and cringed, swallowing hard. She let her eyes fall down to his tightened fists and blinked quickly, watching as Elon sat up and gave Tony a firm handshake. In that moment, Pepper wished she'd just make herself invisible and walk away without them noticing. When she felt Tony's warm hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly, she started trembling.

She tried to maintain her composure – she really did, but after everything that had happened the previous night, she felt exposed and vulnerable to him. When Elon's phone started ringing, her eyes snapped up towards Tony's face and she pulled away from his touch.

"Now you're checking up on me?!" Her once calm voice wheezed through her teeth.

"Baby please listen to me." Tony tried, one hand sliding into the hair at the back of his neck, tugging slightly. "I know this looks funky. I have no excuses other than the fact that I'm an asshole. Please, just… finish up here and let me take you back to my place. And we can sort this out, I swear."

Pepper's eyes were unreadable and cold and that sent shivers down Tony's spine.

"I'll think about it." She said flatly and turned her attention back to her meal, completely ignoring Tony, who was suffering inside. He swallowed miserably and left, feeling his chest constrict with every breath he took. Instead of sulking some more, Tony took another taxi and headed towards his apartment, mentally preparing for when and if Pepper was going to come and let him explain himself.

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**A/N: Lovemaking is what you're going to get. Soon. Review until then?**


	13. Chapter 13

Pepper could be mean, _evil _even, but to be fair, up to that point, she hadn't cared all that much to prove a point to Tony because nothing held any importance back then, when they were just employer and employee, but as of now, everything was much more complicated and different.

She couldn't lie to herself and say that things were easy. They weren't. She wasn't supposed to care that much about anything he said or did, but she did, and that was one of her worst flaws. Pepper was aware that a relationship with him would imply a lot of work and nerves, but she would have preferred that he'd kept the sly comments regarding sex to himself. _Yes, sex, _she thought with a bitter taste in her mouth. _That's all it means, anyway. Don't make a fool of yourself to think otherwise._

As those thoughts lingered in the back of her mind, Pepper knocked swiftly against Tony's apartment door and waited for him to open it. When he did, she stepped inside without looking at him and sighed to herself, trying to calm down her nerves.

"Um… hi. I'm kinda sorry about earlier today." She heard him apologize softly behind her and she turned around, licking her lower lip to moisten it up. She caught Tony staring and she cleared her throat before smiling lightly.

"It's fine. I know how you are, Tony, and honestly, I should have seen that coming." She paused for a moment and pursed her lips. "But I'll be more careful the next time."

Tony was taken aback.

"Careful about what? I was the one who screwed up." He passed a hand through his hair, making it more disheveled and utterly delicious. "Look, I'm a rookie. I'm going to screw things up, but not willingly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She inquired, sitting down on one of the armchairs to take off her high heels that had been bugging her all day long. When they were finally off, Pepper let out a delighted sigh and stretched her back.

Tony shrugged. "I don't know. But I really need you to trust me on this one."

"Like you trusted me enough to tell me that you were dying?"

That stabbed Tony right into his back and he sighed heavily, frustrated that she was bringing up this subject again.

"I said I was sorry about that, Potts. Obviously, you're not over it. I'm trying to apologize for this morning, but I can't if you keep on shoving dirt into my face!"

Pepper narrowed her eyes and huffed, standing up and went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

"I'm not shoving dirt into your face. I'm just stating a fact. If we're going to build this relationship on lies, then so be it!" She bit back, getting more frustrated by the minute. She downed the whole glass in seconds and placed it back on the counter when she felt him behind her, crowding her into the firm piece of furniture. In that moment, she felt her anger turn into something more primal, driven by lust. His moist lips encased her right ear and she felt his teeth scrape her lobe gently.

"If this is fighting, Potts, I can't wait to make up." His words stirred her senses and when his arms encircled her waist and pulled her tightly against his body, she felt her muscles contract in the most delicious way. She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, rolling her head back against his shoulder, breath hitching in her throat when his calloused hand slid her skirt up, fingernails scraping against her inner-thigh.

Somehow, through her lust-filled haze, Pepper placed her hand on top of his and squeezed lightly, gasping when his lips began kissing her neck.

"Please." She pleaded, knowing that she sounded desperate, but she couldn't care any less. He'd already pointed that out in the morning, so this time around, Pepper didn't mind hiding it. She craved him, craved his touch and his whole being more than air, even if it sounded ridiculous. She'd been craving it for years and years and she wasn't going to deny her need for him anymore.

"Please what?" Tony inquired with a low growl into her ear, nuzzling his goatee along her neck.

_Please bury yourself inside of me, _she wanted to say, but even though they'd already slept together once, she knew it wouldn't sound appropriate. She would say it, though, but later on, after their relationship would actually be strong enough.

"God, Potts, you're like a fucking drug." He admitted with a heavy shudder and kissed her jaw, cupping her firmly in his palm. Her low moan made his hardened member twitch and complain and he pressed her even more into the counter, words slurring out unstoppably. "I know we kind of hurried last night, but _fuck, _you know I loved it, baby. You have no idea how much I want you."

Pepper's legs would soon give up if he uttered one more word about how much he wanted her. Her whole body was going to give up if he wouldn't soon start doing something to relieve the tension she felt.

"Stop talking and fuck me already." She hissed in a quick breath, hand sliding up into his hair and pulled him in for a deep kiss. When his moist lips covered hers, they both moaned and clutched each other tighter, momentarily forgetting about their earlier fight as they both started to rip off clothes from each other's bodies, murmuring soft promises and exchanging lust driven kisses.

The counter would need a good scrubbing after they were done with it, but honestly, neither of them really cared about that. When he set her down on the counter, he leaned down and brought her mile-long legs on his shoulders, making eye-contact with her before burying his face between her legs, ravishing her like a rabid animal. When she began shaking, he pulled away from her, watching her face as she convulsed and tugged at his hair, almost ripping some of it off.

Licking his lips which held her scent, he leaned in and kissed her as he penetrated her deeply, his groan filling up the apartment. He didn't protest when she dug her fingers into his ass and pulled him in deeper, only driving into her wilder. Sweat began dripping down his skin, eyes rolling in the back of his head when he numbly registered her gasping out his name each time he filled her up. His thumb against her clit drove her over the edge with a piercing scream, and he soon followed, hips jerking against hers unevenly as he emptied himself inside of her with a shuddering growl.

When the sweat cooled off their skin, Tony released her legs from his shoulders and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. He closed his eyes tightly when her hair brushed his cheek and stroked her spine, both groaning when the aftershocks of her orgasm made her inner-muscles contract around him in a sweet clench. His breath hitched and he pulled back from her, eyes searching for her face. When her eyes found his, Tony smiled and kissed her bruised lips delicately, rocking inside of her slowly.

"Tony…" She croaked, hands grasping the well-built muscles of his back.

"Shh… I've got you." He promised and kissed her languidly, tongue stroking against hers slowly, miming the movements of his body. "You're mine."

Pepper whimpered and slid her hands into his hair, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her. She allowed him to kiss her, realizing that he wasn't going to give up until he would make her come again.

"Oh, Tony…" She cried out softly, muscles contracting around him spasmodically. She closed her eyes tightly, heat rising up to her cheeks out of embarrassment. She couldn't stop the wave of self-consciousness that overcame her at the thought of Tony bursting with pride at having made her come three times in less than fifteen minutes.

"Better?" Tony asked her and lifted up her head by her chin. He felt his heart skip a beat in his chest at her ecstasy filled eyes. He simply smiled when she didn't reply, realizing that he had worn her out, so he nuzzled her nose and pulled out of her slowly, eyes closing at the slick sound. "Fuck."

Her arms enclosed around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, emotions running wild inside her head. When the kiss came to an end, Pepper pulled back and smiled at him, hand smoothing down his sweaty hair. Her heart suddenly ached when she noticed the way he was looking at her: mouth open and wide eyes. What if there was more to it than sex? When that thought occurred to her, Jarvis spoke up, interrupting the haze between them.

"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you and Miss Potts, but Natasha Romanoff wishes to speak to you on the phone."

Tony groaned and looked at Pepper, regretting that the moment they were just having had to be interrupted so abruptly.

"Gimme a minute, Jarvis." He mumbled and pressed another kiss to Pepper's lips, a soothing one, before pulling away from her entirely. "I'll explain this in a minute."

Pepper watched him disappear into the living room, confused at why the name seemed familiar to her. She jumped off the counter after a few minutes and headed for the bathroom to clean herself up, mind still reeling from the intense sex they'd just had. Or was it lovemaking? She couldn't put her finger on it, but she realized that they had to sort out their feelings before continuing, or else there would be a big mess in the end.

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**A/N: I hope this was worth it. You might want to take a cold shower afterwards, just in case. Lemme know what you thought of it below!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This is the second chapter I'm posting today. You might have missed my other update. Check out the previous chapter, but beware, it's rated M.**

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After Tony ended the call with Natasha, he enthusiastically made his way back into the kitchen, only to find that Pepper wasn't there anymore. Furrowing his brows in confusion, Tony heard the water running in the bathroom. He tapped the door gently with his knuckles and peered in.

"Can I come in?" He licked his lips and impatiently waited for her answer.

"I could use a good scrubbing!" Pepper yelled from under the shower and stepped back a little, to make room for Tony, who wasted no time before wrapping his arms around her. She shuddered heavily and looked up at him from under her eye-lashes.

"Mmm, hi." He murmured affectionately and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, water running down his back. Pepper slid her hands up his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "I know you're tired, but I kind of have plans for tonight."

Pepper raised her eyebrows at him and felt him nuzzle her neck. She smiled like a fool in love and stroked his wet hair.

"We're leaving the city for the weekend. I talked to your assistant and cleared your schedule, and before you yell at me, just think about it! Just you and me, France, wine and cheese. You owe me one because you turned down Venice."

Pepper didn't know how to respond because he'd taken her by surprise. She pulled his head away from her neck gently and brushed her fingertips over his cheeks. To be honest, the proposal sounded rather nice. She was tempted to give in and let herself relax for 48 hours. She figured she deserved a little break once in a while, even if the Paris event was still on roll until that Sunday.

"Just you and me, huh?" She teased him with a small smirk, feeling his arms tighten around her.

"Yes." He breathed out against her lips, eyes unfocused, mind still replaying their earlier lovemaking session. "Just you and me."

"Okay." Pepper answered simply and turned away from him, grabbing the shampoo in order to clean him up. "Come here."

They spent the next half hour huddled close in the shower, taking turns washing each other's bodies before getting ready for leaving. Tony grabbed his bag and waited for Pepper at the door, wearing jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt. He looked absolutely amazing in it and Pepper had a hard time not staring at his body when she emerged from the bedroom, wearing a summer floral dress. When Tony saw her, his lips turned upwards in a genuine smile, and he was certainly freaking out inside because his heart started fluttering rapidly. _Dammit. Why does she have to be so gorgeous?_

He reached out and grabbed her bag, smiling at her even wider. Pepper found him adorable, so she leaned up on her tip-toes and gave him a peck, giggling at the look on his face when she pulled away.

"Stop making me want you." Tony sighed happily and reached down for her hand, heart beating faster and faster. Holding hands isn't supposed to be awkward, nor that difficult, so he bit his lower lip and linked his fingers through hers, pulling her out into the lobby with him.

When they reached the street, Pepper was delighted to feel the soft wind blow in her face. The weather was surprisingly warm and that made her feel giddy for their trip, wherever he planned on taking her. As Tony pulled the Audi on the highway, Pepper relaxed in her seat and glanced at the stars on the sky. She'd almost forgotten about their fight and she was grateful that he'd made an effort to mend things up between them. She had to admit that the thought of getting away from the stress of the city appealed to her. She was certain that once they arrived their destination, Tony wouldn't let her out of the bed, but she wasn't exactly against that idea, especially after their sexcapade earlier that day.

"Having dirty thoughts about me, Potts?" Tony murmured softly and reached out to take her hand in his, squeezing her fingers delicately, feeling butterflies run through his stomach at the intimate touch.

Pepper chuckled and turned her attention towards him and linked their fingers together, enjoying the feel of his calloused skin against hers.

"Yes." She decided to go for the truth. He would have figured out that she was lying anyway, so there was no point in hiding it.

Tony's breath hitched in his throat and he sped up the car a little. Pepper noticed that and she kissed the back of his hand before releasing it.

"We should do this more often." He stated and held his eyes on the road in front of him. "I know you're busy and that I'm responsible for that. But as I previously mentioned, you're the most qualified person I've ever met and you're doing a great job with the company. I'm sure my parents would have loved you."

It was Pepper's turn to stop breathing at his sudden emotion display and she nodded almost imperceptibly, heart thudding against her ribcage.

"I mean… You're the best for me." He acknowledged quietly. "And I know I don't deserve you, but this is important to me. It really is. I know it might look like I don't give a shit sometimes, but I do. I always care when it comes to you, Pep."

Pepper blinked quickly, eyes downcast. A few stubborn tears slid down her cheeks and she looked away, feeling overwhelmed. She couldn't believe that from all the places in the world they could've had this discussion, he chose to tell her how he felt in a car.

"So… next time you have doubts about me, think back on what I said." He cleared his throat quickly, feeling it start to close off due to the wave of emotions that hit him. "I just want this to work."

"Me too." Came Pepper's whispered reply and she placed her hand on the back of his head, massaging him lightly. "I just want to be with you."

Tony looked at her and swallowed hard, pressing a kiss to her arm. He sped off towards the vineyard he'd chose as a destination and tried to hold back those three words he was dying to let her know.

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**A/N 2: Well, ta-daaaa! Review, please! They keep me motivated to write faster.**


	15. Chapter 15

Near midnight, Tony pulled the car into the parking lot of a small villa, surrounded by miles and miles of vineyards. The moon shone brightly, illuminating Pepper's tired, but relaxed face. When she heard Tony turn off the engine of the Audi, she turned her head towards him and let out a soft laugh.

Tony held her eyes for a few long seconds before winking at her suggestively.

"See this villa?" He spoke up softly, eyes looking towards the building in front of them. "It's all ours for the weekend."

Pepper smiled in spite of her increased tiredness and opened the car door before climbing out of it, inhaling the strong scent of grapes and wine. She closed her eyes and threaded her fingers through her hair, enjoying the atmosphere.

"I'm going to get these bags upstairs and then, if you want, we can go for a quick walk before going to sleep." He trailed off, eyes looking at her expectantly, hoping that she would accept his proposal.

The redhead nodded and murmured a soft response, before taking a sip out of her bottle of water, moistening her lips and mouth. She felt goose bumps rise on her skin at the thought of being with him in such close proximity. Even after they became intimate, Pepper realized that these little things still had a funny effect on her heart. She wandered around the car for a while until Tony walked out of the villa with a goofy grin on his face.

"What's so amusing?" Pepper inquired and raised an eyebrow at him, shuddering when he reached down for her hand and tugged her along towards a stray path that lead to somewhere in the distance.

"Rhodey has been texting me for the past five minutes, asking how was he supposed to take a piss in the suit." He explained and burst out laughing, amusing Pepper as well. "I ignored him."

"That's rude." Pepper murmured and squeezed his warm hand, heart fluttering when he felt him squeeze hers in return.

"No, it's not. He stole my suit."

"That's not really accurate." She cut him off, shoulder brushing against his. "I'm pretty certain that Jarvis doesn't allow anyone to wear your suits without your permission."

Tony shot her a hurt look and sighed dramatically. "You really had to point that out, Potts?"

Pepper laughed and saw a bench just a few meters away. She nodded towards it and sat down, followed by Tony who groaned softly and let his head roll against the back of the bench.

"So…" He drawled off, eyes fixing on hers. "How was the sex?"

To be completely frank, that question didn't faze Pepper at all. She rolled her eyes and slid closer to him, placing her hand on his chest, right next to his arc reactor.

"Angry sex is _always_ hot." She answered his question, looking at his lips. "But I prefer it slow, you know… _sensual, mind-blowing…_" She emphasized her words and felt his right arm sneak around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She felt his breath on her cheek and she slid her hand up his neck and into his hair, stroking it slowly.

"Mmm, is that so?" Tony murmured and stroked her spine, enjoying her warmth and closeness.

"Mhmm…" She replied and nuzzled her cheek against his, feeling his stubble scratch her skin lightly. She sighed involuntarily and pressed her cheek against his, leaning most of her weight against him. When she did that, she felt his other arm wrap around her and she whimpered quietly, millions of thoughts running inside her head. The moment felt perfect and she was afraid that she would ruin it, but the question had been tugging at her heart for a while now and she felt that it couldn't be ignored for much longer.

"Tony?" She whispered and brushed her lips against his ear.

He squeezed her waist in response and waited for whatever she was going to ask him.

"What you said in the car, on the way here…"

"Yeah…" He sighed, alarms buzzing inside of his head.

"I just wanted to say that I want this to work out more than anything, but I have to know if you want the same things as I do and that it's not just a phase, or, I don't know…"

"I'm not going to get bored of you, of _us… _if that's what you're implying." Tony stated firmly and pulled away to look her in the eyes. "And it's not a phase. Pep, listen to me…"

Pepper's heart melted when she heard him use a shortened version of her nickname and pursed her lips while allowing him to continue. When his hand reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes closed and she shuddered, fingers tightening against his t-shirt.

"I love you." He exhaled in a quick breath, feeling as surprised as her at the sudden admission. He watched her watch him in awe, forehead creasing in surprise. The awkward silence felt… _awkward. _But Tony knew that he had to explain himself before she jumped out of his arms. "And it's painfully obvious to me that it's going to take a really long while for you to learn to trust me and open yourself up to me. But that's okay—I mean… I'm not the guy you date. I'm the guy you fuck and leave the morning after because he didn't cuddle with you. I'm _terrified _of intimacy, Pepper. It's scaring the shit out of me and I just want to prove you that _this _is what I want. No, scratch that, it's what I _need. _And I've been needing you for a really, _really_ long time. I just got stuck and I hope that you'll forgive me someday for not saying it sooner."

Pepper stared at him in shock, unable to comprehend how it could be possible. Her mind replayed the past year in a quick flashback and she gaped at him, mouth hanging open.

"You… you do?" She croaked out, emotion clearly audible in her voice.

"Um, _yeah._" Tony nodded slowly and looked away for a minute, clearly emotionally drained.

"Oh." That was the only reaction that Pepper could come up with at the moment. Everything was covered in a deep fog and words could not express the rainbow of emotions she felt.

Tony sighed deeply. Suffice to say, her neutral reaction rendered him a tad bit miserable. He'd expected her to reciprocate. He'd been so certain that she felt the same, he couldn't even phantom the disappointment he felt at her being silent in his arms.

"Time for bed." He ground out and sat up, masking away his disappointment by looking out in the distance.

Pepper swallowed thickly and sat up as well, feeling guilty at not having said something. Her tongue felt tied, though, and her heart swell in her chest with every breath she took. When she noticed that he'd begun walking towards the villa without her, she hurried and caught up with him, staying in silence until they reached the building. Tony opened the door for her and locked it up behind them, before following her upstairs. Once they got into the bedroom, Tony stripped down to his boxers and got out his Stark phone, tinkering away with it absently, sitting by the window.

Pepper took her time to freshen up in the bathroom, feeling more and more confused by the minute. His sudden admission had caught her off guard. How else was she supposed to feel? Relieved? Maybe a little bit, but truth be told, she was worried because she had no idea what would happen next.

When she got out of the bathroom, she found him facing away from her in the bed, seemingly asleep. The image of him sulking brought up a large bubble of guilt inside of her and she sighed deeply, before sliding in next to him. She pressed a soft kiss to his head and stared at his bare back for a long time until sleep finally claimed her.

Time. That's all she needed to sort out her feelings.

* * *

**A/N: Will she have the courage to tell him she loves him back or not? Let me know what you think below!**


	16. Chapter 16

When morning came, Pepper rolled around in bed, unconsciously looking for Tony's warm body. When she slid onto his side of the bed, she realized that it had been cold for a while. Popping her eyes open, she squinted at the light coming in through the windows and closed them right back. She pressed her palms over her face and yawned softly, before slowly climbing out of the bed. She headed into the shower and washed herself quickly before walking downstairs to find Tony.

When she reached the terrace, she was surprised to see him sitting at the table, enjoying breakfast without her. He wore a pair of shorts and a green polo t-shirt, and had his eyes covered by a dark pair of sunglasses. Pepper narrowed her eyes at him before taking a seat next to him at the table.

"Morning." He mumbled, mouth full of omelet. Pepper could tell by the sound of his voice that he was still sulking, and that annoyed her. She reached out and removed his sunglasses, wanting to see his brown eyes that she loved so much. When she did that, Tony picked up his napkin and dabbed away at his mouth, refusing to look at her.

"Tony." She whispered and touched his face with her fingertips.

"Yeah, sorry for starting breakfast without you, but I was starving, and this guy, Pierre, showed up with breakfast like an hour ago, and I—"

"You don't have to apologize." She said, wanting to smack him upside his head for not looking at her.

"Oh, ok. Well… enjoy your breakfast. I'm going to go make a quick call." Tony grinned at her and jumped out of his seat, knowing he acted like a child, but honestly, he didn't give a damn. He was hurting and he was hurting bad. He barely slept the previous night and being next to her made it a thousand times worse. _That's what you get for opening up, you asshole. Let that be a lesson for whenever you want to act all gooey like._

Tony spent the next thirty minutes lounging on a chair on the other side of the villa, phone in his hand. He hadn't lied to Pepper about having to make a call. Shield had been bugging him about a potential threat coming from outer-space. _Aliens. Right. I want to see that. _Agent Coulson had said something about a Norse God or something along those lines, but that wasn't really his domain to start with, so he couldn't care any less at that point.

"That wasn't a quick call." Pepper's voice interrupted his line of thought. He turned around and watched her make her way towards him. He held his breath when she sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. "I miss you."

"Right." Tony murmured and reluctantly pulled her closer.

Pepper threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed him deeply, sucking on his lower lip tenderly. Tony groaned at that and pulled away, giving her a look.

"How's the company?" Tony asked, trying his best to avoid their current issue. "Do you want a new office? Maybe a new car? Cause we can browse the online catalog and pick you a nicer one."

"I don't want a new car." Pepper answered sincerely and blinked slowly at him, noticing how cold he was acting around her. "And the company is _fine, _Tony. We've established a new line of buildings, six more exactly. One in New York, another one in DC, here in Paris, in London… Hong Kong and Sydney."

Tony raised his eyebrows at that.

"Buildings for what exactly?"

"R&D use but it's more extensive than that. We're going to call them Stark Towers, because, even though I'm the CEO, your name is still written over every single thing."

Tony laughed at that and shrugged.

"Well, the perks of being the rich guy." Pepper smacked his shoulder and cupped the back of his head.

"You're being an ass." She pointed out and felt him cringe slightly beneath her.

"Oh, am I?" Tony bit back sourly and cleared his throat. "Why is that?"

"Because ever since last night you've been avoiding me."

"I have not!" Tony protested, even though that was perfectly true.

"Yes, you have and you're driving me crazy. I thought this trip was a perfect getaway for sex, but now I'm having doubts."

Tony chuckled and shrugged once again.

"If you want to use me as a sex toy, that's fine, but don't expect me to give a damn afterwards."

His words stung. And Pepper pulled back from him, heart beating fast in her chest.

"And why is that?" She inquired firmly and slid off his lap, eyes turning to ice.

"Well, for starters, you only want sex from me, which is totally fine in a weird way because it doesn't imply intimacy, but _god dammit, _Pepper, I opened up to you last night and you totally ignored everything I said."

"That's not true, Tony." She cut him off and sighed. "I'm just having doubts, that's all. You're not expecting me to fall for everything you say, are you?"

Tony looked at her as if she'd just stabbed him with her stilettos.

"Of course not." He admitted bitterly. "I get it. I really do. It's me we're talking about here."

"You're not going to play the innocent card, are you?"

Tony sighed deeply and sat up, putting his sunglasses on.

"I'm not." With that said, he turned away from her and headed back inside the villa, heart breaking inside his ribcage.

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**A/N: More angst? **


	17. Chapter 17

_Disappointment_. Tony was accustomed to that feeling very well. He'd experienced it from his early childhood, whenever he'd create something from scrap and try to show it to his father, only to be ignored and yelled at. Oh, what a cruel fate. He'd never known how much his childhood would affect him as a grown-up. Every single thing he did after his parents died had a deep connection to his past and especially his teenage years. There are only two words that could describe Tony's teenage life: boarding school. _Ambition, hard work, tears, lies, lack of affection, suicide thoughts – _those were dominant back in the day, when he was wasting away his energy on something that was genetic. His genius didn't require polishing, he was a rough stone. The only thing that drove him nuts back then was the thought of not being fully appreciated by his own father. That thought still lingered, even now, whenever he'd have a breakthrough.

But no one had bothered to stop and ask how he felt. They imagined it was supposed to be like that – a genius' life is a tough life, there was no doubt. But despite it all, a human being needs affection, it needs love and protection, not ignorance and hatred.

_Everything comes with a price, though. _Tony thought sourly and exited through the front side of the villa, pondering on where he should go and hide away for a while until his racing heartbeat would calm down. Taking a look around himself, he realized that a vineyard would probably be having tons of places to explore, so he decided to follow the path that he and Pepper had gone on the previous night. He stuck his hands into his pockets and wandered around for a really long time, until he found an isolated spot, where he crashed with his back against a huge tree, protecting himself from the heat.

Pressing his face into the crook where his bicep met his forearm, Tony let out a shuddering sigh and raked his other hand through his hair, silently wishing that the previous night wouldn't have taken place. He couldn't believe how weak and vulnerable he truly was and that terrified him. What if she suddenly decided she didn't want to be with him anymore? What if she decided that she deserved better and left just like that?

Mentally torturing himself wouldn't help, Tony figured, so he pulled out his phone and dialed Pierre's number, asking him to deliver them three bottles of their finest wine by that night. Ignoring the dull ache in his chest, Tony pulled himself up from the ground and picked some grapes from the nearest branch before heading back towards the villa. When he got there he saw Pepper sitting on the lounge chair, laptop perched on her lap. Upon seeing him return, Pepper set the laptop aside and looked up at him, remorse clearly visible in her eyes.

"Where have you been?" She asked him softly and looked at him expectantly as he sat down at her feet, holding up the grape.

"Do you want to test that seals fighting over a grape theory?" Tony retorted with a smirk and, despite everything, he mentally pushed aside the emotional matter and focused on the physical one, figuring that it was what Pepper wanted.

Pepper stared at the grape for a moment and reached up, placing her hands on the lapels of his t-shirt, holding his eyes.

"You didn't answer." She stated with sad eyes, feeling his walls build themselves up again – this time higher than before.

"I brought you grapes. You're not allergic to them, are you?" He asked, panicking slightly.

"_Tony._"

"Pepper." He mimicked her expression and grabbed the laptop before throwing it on the ground with a loud bang. Pepper cringed and looked at him, startled and slightly afraid of him. She blinked at him quickly and swallowed hard, all senses going into overload when she felt him inch closer to her.

"You're saying no to the grape theory, then?" He asked and placed his hand on her thigh, squeezing lightly. "That's fine. I've got other theories to test. Like, how loud you can scream my name while I pound you."

Pepper gasped and closed her eyes, trembling. She didn't like this side of him. It terrified her, but at the same time, it also thrilled her in a weird way. Even though she was mostly against physical violence, deep down she knew that she craved it.

"Are you afraid, baby?" He purred in her ear, his nose nuzzling along her earlobe, eliciting a soft whimper from her. When she placed her hand on his shoulder, Tony grinned madly and slid his hand between her legs, thumb stroking her through her panties slowly. Pepper bit her lower lip, head spinning. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared up at him, pleasure clearly evident on every feature of her face.

"Is this what you want, Potts?" He murmured and licked his lips, trying his best to keep this intimate action between them a pure physical one. He didn't want to put any feelings in it, so he pushed her panties aside and thrust three fingers inside her wet core, breath hitching in his throat at how wet and responsive she was.

"Tony…" Pepper whimpered once again and tried to kiss him, eyes fixated on his. When Tony realized that, he turned his head sideways so that her lips landed on his jaw. _No kisses. No intimacy. Just sex. _He thought and thrust his fingers inside of her until she was the verge of coming. The moment he felt her start to flutter lightly against his fingers, he pulled his hand away and smirked down at her, his ego growing bigger at the groan of protest she uttered.

"You didn't tell me what you wanted." He pointed out with a sort of evil chuckle and disentangled himself from her embrace before sitting up.

"Tony!" She screeched and he saw her nostrils start flaring. _Oh, oh, getting angry there, Potts._

He continued to smirk down at her even though his heart still hurt inside his chest. If sex was what she wanted, that's what he'd give her. But not before teasing her until she'd break. Lips curling upwards, Tony brought the hand that had been inside of her up to his nose and inhaled deeply before sucking on his fingers with a gusty sigh. Pepper's mouth dried up at the sight and she squirmed impatiently, eyes begging him to finish what he'd started.

"Hmm… I'm suddenly in the mood for some grapes." Tony said and licked his lips suggestively before heading back into the villa.

_Game on. Tony 1, Pepper 0._

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**A/N: How's this side of Tony? Let me know below! **


	18. Chapter 18

Pepper lay there after Tony had left her, shaking both in anger and arousal. She couldn't believe what he had just done. She knew that he had to be upset and hurt by the fact that she hadn't reciprocated his feelings, but this was a step too far. He couldn't just work her up like he did and then leave like that. The whole concept seemed wrong to Pepper, who sat up and marched inside of the villa, looking for him.

"Anthony Stark!" She yelled and saw him standing in front of the fridge, holding up a grape in his hand. "I swearto God that I will personally murder you if you don't stop with this childish behavior!"

Tony stopped the action in mid-air and stared at her, fear creeping up his spine. His pupils dilated slightly and he simply stood there, breathing and watching this impressive force of nature.

"Either you come to the terms that I need some time to figure my feelings out, or we can end this here, right now."

Her tone held no jokes and Tony could tell that by the way her eyes held him fixed on his spot. An angry Pepper had quite an effect on his libido and Tony crossed his legs, shrugging like a dumb person.

"I… I just-" He started, only to be cut off by Pepper, who plucked a grape from his hand and took a juicy bite out of it.

"You what, Stark?" Pepper inquired, moving dangerously close to him. She raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the counter. Tony swallowed hard at that and looked down at his feet, emotions running wild inside his head. He hated the fact that she was the only person who knew him better than he knew himself. And he hated the fact that she could see through him at any time.

He closed his eyes tightly at the realization of the fact that he'd acted like a monster to her. She didn't deserve this behavior. She deserved the best of things and even though Tony was well aware that he couldn't be enough for her, he wanted to try. Blinking quickly, he placed his hands on her hips and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her left eyebrow.

"Tony…" Pepper murmured and breathed in his scent. She felt his arms wrap themselves around her and when he pulled her against his warm body, Pepper released a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. Massaging his forearms lightly, the redheaded woman looked up at her boyfriend and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm not upset, Tony. And I need your adorable side back."

Tony snorted and pressed his cheek against the crown of her head, holding her close.

"Yeah. I'm trying, Pep." He whispered gently and stroked her hair.

Pepper nuzzled her nose against his shirt and listened to his heartbeat for a few long seconds, basking in the warmth that enveloped her entire being at hearing the constant beating sound of his heart.

"Hey, listen…" She looked up at him, curious at what he was going to propose. "I'm heading out a little. SHIELD business. But I'll be back by dinner time and then we can enjoy the rest of our mini-vacation by having dinner and drinking wine. How does that sound?" He asked tenderly and squeezed her waist, eager for her response.

Pepper studied his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. "Okay. Alright. Just don't be late, Iron Man."

She smiled sweetly at him, her baby blue eyes shining with happiness. Her expression warmed Tony's heart and he placed a quick kiss to her cheek before leaving. The moment he disappeared from her sight, Pepper brushed her fingertips over her cheek, exhaling a heavy breath. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, trying to erase the feel of his hand between her legs, but failing miserably.

Padding barefooted upstairs, she turned the bathtub faucet on and stripped slowly, enjoying the warm rays of sun that bathed her in a soft light. She spent the next two hours relaxing in the bathtub, almost dozing off a couple of times, but just when she was about to drain the tub, her phone buzzed next to her. She picked it up and saw Rhodey's number flash on the screen.

Even though she knew that he was probably calling just to check up on them, her heart rate picked up slightly.

"You two are really something." She heard his chipper voice at the other end of the line and her tension suddenly evaporated. "Why isn't Tony picking up his phone?"

"He is still in denial." Pepper chuckled and watched as the sun began to set.

"I imagined so. How's Paris?" Rhodey asked, completely oblivious to the fact that Pepper and Tony were no longer in Paris.

"Uhm… it's really something." She laughed and realized how much of a cliché her first time having sex with Tony was. _Paris. _

"Tony told me he was going to shorten your big annual event. I hope you won't need me to kick his ass for irresponsible behavior."

"No, that won't be necessary. He's behaved pretty nicely so far. He's quite the sap actually."

Rhodey burst out laughing and snorted. "Yeah, I can't wait to ask him more about that."

"Be gentle with him. He's just a baby." Pepper joked and got out of the tub, thanking Rhodey for his considerate call. After all, he was only being attentive.

When Tony returned from his so-called mission, it was already half past eight. Knowing that she must have been starving, he came back with two bags full of food and wine. At the sight of the wine, Pepper smirked to herself, already imagining how their night would play out: _a quiet dinner on the terrace in the candlelight, kisses which held promises of a loving future, possible sex if their night wouldn't end in another fight._

Their date night hadn't gone quite like that. While trying to cook their dinner, Tony somehow managed to distract her by stripping off his shirt and their food ended up burnt. Undoubtedly, they had managed to drink two whole bottles of wine before literally collapsing in bed. They fumbled around with their clothes, giggling like two teenagers in love. Pepper couldn't remember the last time she'd been so drunk, but frankly, she didn't care with the way Tony's lips moved alongside her jaw and neck. Nor did she care when he spooned her and bit her ear, hand squeezing her left breast as his hips moved languidly into hers. She moaned and he kissed her neck in return, sliding his hand up to the nape of her neck from where he immobilized her neck in order to be able to hold her gaze as he penetrated her faster and harder, enjoying the sound of skin against skin. When they were both done, Tony released his hold on her neck and pressed his lips against her shoulder, skimming his hand down her bare chest and stomach, enjoying the firm feel of her abdomen against his fingertips.

The last thing she remembered before falling asleep in his strong arms was the sound of his heavy breathing against her sweaty skin.

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**A/N: Pleased?**


	19. Chapter 19

After returning to the States, both Tony and Pepper went back to what they knew best – _work_. As soon as Tony got home, he went straight to his workshop, opened up his projects and started working on the newest update of the suit, trying to add more protection layers to the armor, having realized its fragility after Vanko's attack. In a little over a week, he managed to add Mark VI to his collection and came up with even more ideas for a future Mark VII.

Whereas Tony spent most of his time down in his workshop, Pepper spent about 12 hours a day in the office, engrossed in multiple projects. Her 'Stark Towers' project had been approved by the board, much to her satisfaction, and as soon as she got the legal documents, she disposed the workers to start building it. New York was the first tower to be finished and thanks to technology and advanced constructing machines, it would be ready in no less than two months. During those two months, Pepper spent her time flying off in between Los Angeles and New York, enjoying immensely the professional satisfaction that her efforts had brought her over the course of the project. Besides the New York construction site, she'd also visited the DC one, feeling very impressed by how her employees treated her.

She was no longer just a simple PA. She was the CEO of an international company and that managed to boost her self-confidence and image.

Even though their little vacation to France had been wonderful, Pepper was well aware of the fact that after returning to their hectic life, they'd spend most of their time apart. But she couldn't have imagined how little time they would get to spend together. During those two months while she was busy with the construction of the towers, she and Tony went on a total of zero dates. Well, not _actual _dates, because each time they'd schedule something together, another thing would come up and mess up a perfect night out or a simple breakfast together. Tony would refuse to leave his man cave, unless she would bribe him with sex, thing which didn't happen that often, due to the fact that her professional life had taken over her personal one, and that each time she got home from office she'd put the last ounce of effort into getting into bed and sleep her exhaustion off.

The sleepovers at his place were less and less often and sometimes Pepper wondered if they could actually manage to make their relationship work, despite their growing affection for one another. Pepper could count the times they've had sex during those two months on only one hand. The funny thing was – whenever she was in the mood for him, it would turn out that Tony was either too busy for her or away on a mission.

Pepper often wondered what it was like to be inside Tony's head. The man fascinated her on a daily basis. And even though she could easily say that their relationship was unique, it was also more than that. Truth to be told, Pepper hated whenever she had to be away from him for more than a few days because she'd grown so dependent on his whole being. Ever since that night in France when he spilled out his feelings for her, Pepper noticed that he'd begun paying more attention to what he said to her. At times, when they'd find themselves alone, Pepper's heart grew heavy at his obvious inner-struggle as to not wrap his arms around her and hold her close. But she couldn't find the courage to let him know that the mere act of holding her wasn't going to upset her or annoy her.

And despite her realization that he obviously loved her, still, she couldn't say it back.

But that thing changed when, during their celebratory date night, Phil Coulson showed up uninvited and ruined whatever plans she had. During those two months, Tony had explained to Pepper that Fury had some plans about gathering around a group of superheroes, but he'd been so pissed off about the fact that he was considered being unsuitable that she hadn't pressed the subject on. But when she noticed the look on Phil's face, Pepper immediately knew that something was out of place. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she figured it was something serious, so in exchange for Tony doing his homework, Pepper leaned in to his ear, whispered she was going to let him make love to her while wearing his armor, kissed him goodbye, then left.

Pepper hadn't realized it back then, but that night was going to change everything in their lives.

When she was on that plane, watching the live broadcast of the battle in Manhattan, her heart stopped. The sight of him disappearing with a nuclear bomb on his back into a giant wormhole in the sky made her heart drop into her stomach and the sudden realization that he was most likely dead, rendered her completely numb and breathless. The only thing she was aware of was the sound of her labored breathing, before she sat up, excused herself and left the room, retreating inside the small bathroom where she sat down on the floor, knees hugged to her chest tightly.

_Dead. He's dead. Oh god…. Just like that. I haven't even had the chance to tell him how I felt._

She sobbed and sobbed until they subsided into hiccups. She'd lost the only person she had a real connection with anymore. Her chest seemed to burn with pain and she pressed her face into her knees, letting out a heartbreaking sigh. Her whole world collapsed in a matter of seconds and she couldn't breathe anymore. _Tony. _

She loved him and she'd been a coward all along. _You were the only person whom he trusted and you've let him down worse than his father, worse than Obadiah and everyone else. He's gone and you've let him leave this world without knowing there was someone who cared for him and loved him more than anything else in the entire universe. And what's worse of it all is that you'll never find his body and have a chance to mourn properly. _

"God _dammit_, Tony." She choked in anguish and closed her eyes tightly. "I love you."

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**A/N: I might not have the chance to update until late June, so this might be the last chapter until then. Thanks for all the reviews and nice words! **


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